Cardcaptor Rad
by Shade Penn
Summary: Rewrite. CCS/UT Crossover. Robots, magic, and mini-cons, all things Rad thought he'd never have to deal with; but then he found a green panel in a cave, giant robots began showing up, and he came across a pink book with 'Sakura' written on it.
1. Prologue: Return To Sender

**Prologue: Return To Sender**

 _(Alternative Title: A Perfectly Normal Day)_

* * *

Gleefully, Rachel pulled her young cousin along by the hand as she looked over the items put up for sale on the garage sale table. The start of their weekend camping trip up to the Black Hills caverns already had the ten-year-old excited, but the fact Rad's parents and hers had stopped when Rachel's mother Joy had spotted the sign in the camper made her downright giddy.

"Don't run off, and make sure you don't let go of Bradley's hand, got it?" Joy asked sternly once the camper had been parked, and Rachel nodded as solemnly as she could for a girl her age that had been given this kind of responsibility. "You can get something you like, but remember to show us first so we know how much it costs, alright?"

"Got it." Rachel had promised and now as she scrutinized the items on the table, she could feel Rad starting to tug on her hand as he attempted to go off on his own. "No, Rad, we have to stick together."

"But Way," Rad whined, his lower lip jutting out. It would have been cute, if Rachel didn't cringe at his effort of pronouncing her nickname. "I wanna go dere!" he pointed at another table, his childish face drawn in determination.

Rachel rolled her eyes, but allowed herself to be pulled over by a very insistent three-year-old. When they reached the table, she smiled indulgently as Rad held his arms up at her and she picked him up to settle him against her hip. He was still light enough for her not to be _too_ exhausted from holding him, and she rarely got to see him so this demanding nature was still rather adorable.

Now though with Rad's parents having moved to the same town as Rachel's, she thought that this might get annoying soon enough and hoped he broke the habit before then.

Rachel looked over the new table they were at, and the first thing that drew in her gaze was a pink book sitting near the edge in front of them. She stepped closer and peered down at it for a better inspection; along the bottom of the cover was an outline of a shock burst and over that a darker pink banner which stretched from one end of the corner to the other in an archway. A gold chain was clipped to both sides of the cover, a yellow sun pinned to it, and on both sides of that were a miniature sun and crescent moon. At the lock clasp was an odd design of a three-furled up wing, and at the top there was a star-speckled dark pink banner, and just above that was a ten-pointed star with two wings outstretched on both sides. Another banner hung above that as well, this one in gold, but with the word 'Sakura' in large letters along it.

Glancing at the spine of the book, Rachel could see the same name, and noticed that it was the _only_ one on it. ' _Maybe it could be an autobiography.'_ She thought, but when she pulled back, Rad reached out and snagged it. "No, this looks expensive, we can't buy this."

Rad shook his head and clutched the book to his chest. "Mine, mine, mine!"

Rachel glanced around, but it appeared that a child about to throw a tantrum was worth nothing more than a cursory glance. If anything, Rachel was more worried about how two _unattended_ children would look. "Be quiet or I'll get Mom." She warned, but it promptly backfired when Rad only nodded excitedly. She sighed and plucked the book out of her cousin's grasp, but paused slowly as she stared once more at the cover.

Her eyes took in the details again, and she was vaguely aware of Rad settling against her shoulder as he ran a finger along the same detailing. The reprimand was at the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't spit it out as she rubbed her thumb over the lock wing. When Rad's finger crossed over hers, Rachel's eyes widened as the wing flipped open and she dropped it in her shock.

The book clattered to the table, and Rachel's hand steadied Rad almost immediately as he gripped her by the shoulder. "What…?" she trailed off and furrowed her brow as she could almost see a faint light emitting from the sun emblem on the cover.

A pair of hands suddenly scooped up the book, and Rachel reeled back as she stared up into the smiling face of an older woman. The lady looked to be at least a few years younger than Rachel's own parents or Rad's, and the young girl found the older woman's presence to be very serene even as her smiled tightened while she struggle to push down the lock clasp.

"Now's not the time to be stubborn." She muttered and her smile relaxed when the lock was reset. "Hello, I'm Mrs. Li; did you see something you'd like to buy?"

"Well…" Rachel's eyes looked down at the book, and found herself being sucked in by the same fascination that had gripped Rad earlier. "I'd like to know how much this book costs."

"Oh," Mrs. Li gave the book a once over, "this isn't meant to be here; I think it got put on display by mistake. It's supposed to go to the book box; those are actually free."

Rachel raised a brow. "Really?" she was understandably dubious about this fact, but as this appeared to be Mrs. Li's yard sale, she could value books just differently. To be honest; inside, Rachel very much just wanted to snatch the book up, but reframed from doing so to preserve her own dignity. She hadn't wanted the book in the first place, and now it just felt like a hypocritical impulse. "You mean I really can just take it?"

"Yes, if this is what you want." Mrs. Li held out the book, and after a moment of hesitation, Rachel accepted it.

The girl felt the same profound sense of wonder as she had before, and she wondered just what about it made her feel so strange. "Um, thank you." She said awkwardly, and held the book under her other arm as she set about on her trek back to the camper; if it turned out the book wasn't to her taste, it wasn't like she just couldn't donate or even return it.

When Rachel felt Rad's weight start to cramp her arm, she set him on the ground once more, and she vaguely noticed that like before, Rad's gaze was locked onto the book just as hers was.

* * *

Resting on her side, Rachel frowned as she stared at the book. Her parents hadn't said anything when they saw it, though given that Rad's parents had engaged them in conversation for the rest of the trip, she wondered if they even gave it another thought. Still, Rachel had tucked it into the alcove just under Rad's bed, and she barely twitched when Rad leaned back against her thigh and tilted his head, his gaze also on the book. "It's weird," she said finally, the irrational thought leaving her unsure of just _why_ the book seemed strange, "and I don't know why."

Rad shrugged, but showed no fear as he went to retrieve it. He didn't glance at the door as they could both hear the laughter of their parents outside of the camper. "Read?"

Rachel sighed as she sat up. "Might as well get it over with." She said and grabbed the book. She looked around the clasp for the button which had opened it before, but could see nothing on the clasp other than a keyhole. "Oh no, don't tell me we need a key." She said and rubbed her forehead.

Rad tilted his head, and gripped the lock, which unbuckled when he pulled it back. "It's open." He stated, as though the fact was as obvious as saying the sky were blue.

Rachel stared at him with a deadpan expression. "I can see that." She said and opened the book. She furrowed her brow as she saw that instead of pages, the inside was hollowed out to contain a card, and lifting that, she found that there were even more. "This just gets even weirder." She said and pulled all the cards out.

Rad reached out to pluck one of the cards from the deck, his head tilting once more as he held it up. Rachel neatly piled the cards back into their hollow container as she closed the cover. "What it say?"

Peering closely at the card and squinting at the fact it was colored completely in shades of pink aside from the gold design at the top, the star symbol at the bottom, and the blue hourglass a young robed woman in the center of the card was holding, Rachel's gaze then landed on the name scrawled across an equally pink banner with the word 'Sakura' written underneath even that. "It's says 'Return'."

"Weturn?"

" Re-tu-urn." Rachel sounded out.

"We-urn."

Rachel pursed her lips as she touched the name on the card. _"Return."_ She said firmly, her statement being echoed perfectly as Rad repeated it. Her moment of triumph was ruined a moment later as she noticed a black cloud seeping out from under Rad's bed. Rachel flinched as she gripped Rad's wrist when the cloud moved at them.

Throwing herself over him, Rachel waited for anything to happen, her heart racing inside her chest. Peeking out, the blonde unfurled herself from Rad's form in surprise, her eyes wide as she looked around at the room. "This definitely isn't the camper." She said looking up at the strange structure in front of them.

Rad gasped, and Rachel looked down at him, her grip on his wrist tightening even as she expected her hand to go through his arm. They were both transparent, and yet she was able to touch him as though they were solid. Looking at the floor, Rachel found that the bed wasn't with them, and neither was the weird book.

"How is this happening? _How?"_ she asked aloud, but wasn't surprised when Rad did nothing except stand up to wrap his other hand around her arm. His fear made Rachel push her own aside as she got up onto her feet, the Return card clutched tightly in her grasp. She petted Rad's hair soothingly after letting go of his wrist and she cautiously looked around the squishy-looking room, her eyes inevitably turning to the odd organic sphere in front of them.

Rachel flinched when the sphere began to glow, and she closed her eyes as the light enveloped the room. When it died down, Rachel found herself staring at three robots, bizarrely enough. They were about her height, in varying degrees of colors, but the hollow look in their eyes chilled her. "What are those things?"

Rad sniffled, but he pulled himself from Rachel's side as he looked at the robots. His expression slowly changed from fear to wonder; Rachel's hand grasping Rad's once more as he left her side and moved forward only as far as her arm extended. "Wobots." He said firmly.

 _"Intruders."_ The center blue robot said, its voice flat and digitized as it began to approach. _"You will be des-"_ it stopped abruptly as it looked down to the small hand clasped onto its arm.

"Hi, I'm Rwad!" The little boy shouted, excitement seemingly replacing fear.

Rachel felt her brow twitch. "Rad." She corrected, but tensed up as she realized despite their transparency that her cousin was _touching_ the robot. When the blue robot placed its hand over Rad's, Rachel didn't feel any more secure.

" _Rad."_ It said, a soft white light beginning to emit from its hand where it was placed upon Rad's, and it's voice slowly grew louder as the dead gaze it had seemed to spark with life.

The boy nodded and beamed. "Rwad!" he shouted. "Wanna play?"

"Now's not the time to be thinking about that." Rachel said uneasily as she glanced around the room once more. She grimaced as she could see how the walls appeared to be moving, slimy… _things_ roaming along them and she felt a sense of dread wash over her. "We have to find a way back home."

 _"Home."_ The blue robot said suddenly. " _What's 'home'?"_

Rachel's eyes shifted around the room yet again. "Home is somewhere you belong," she explained vaguely, "and we _really_ don't belong here."

"Wanna play?" Rad asked again, his tone more demanding. "I want to!"

"Now's not the time!" Rachel shouted, and around them the room began to shake. She flinched and pulled Rad away from the robot and gritted her teeth. "We have to find a way to return home!"

As soon as she turned around, she found herself screaming as the same black cloud from before washed over them. In one instant, she found Rad and herself inside a room that was metallic instead of organic, and the confusion cut off her mounting terror. "What just happened?"

"I want to play." Rad said pouting, and Rachel found herself rolling her eyes despite herself.

 _"So do I!"_

Rachel glanced up sharply, her eyes widening as she saw the same blue robot from moments ago, but the unnerving look in its eyes was gone and it clapped its metal hands once more, the previously dead tone alive and cheerful.

" _I'll play with you! It's been so dull since I last saw you; everyone else just wanted to fight!"_ It said, and Rachel had the absurd notion that if she there was a mouth instead of a metal guard over the bottom half of its face, the robot would be pouting. " _I'm so glad we were able to get off-world even if our ship got a bit dinged up, but now we're just floating around and the others went to sleep, so no fun from them!"_ It paused and tilted its head. " _How are you both still so small? Is that the way your species is?"_

"No-oo!" Rad said childishly. "I'm a big boy! Mama and Papa say so!"

" _But that one is bigger."_ The robot pointed at Rachel, who felt offended despite how logic was trying to tell her that none of this should be happening.

"My name is Rachel, and of course I'm bigger. I'm still just a kid though, what are _you?"_

The robot tilted its head, its eyes dimming faintly before they brightened back up. " _I am a mini-con. The name I was programmed with is High Wire, which I never got to tell you."_ It looked at them both, its eyes now eerily intense. _"How are you both here though? Are you a glitch in my programming?"_

"We're hemens!" Rad said proudly, his tiny chest puffing out.

Rachel rolled her eyes, a familiar irritation settling in over the headache she was beginning to get. "Hu-ma-ans." She sounded out.

" _Humans."_ High Wire repeated, and walked over to the large computer, tapping a button that lit the screen up. Rachel tensed up as it hummed and nodded to itself. _"Humans, we'll go where 'humans' are."_ Its eyes lit up again and clasped its hands together once more as the computer screen showed a map of the stars, and it began to zero-in on patterns that flew by so fast Rachel couldn't keep track. " _We'll be able to play together real soon, you'll see!"_

Rachel began to feel unease worm its back into her thoughts as they repeated themselves; just what was happening? _How_ was this happening? While nothing about any of this made sense, she knew that she didn't like what was being said no matter how absurd it was to feel this way about a dream. "We have to go. Rad, it's time to return home."

Rad frowned, but screamed and threw his arms around Rachel waist, High Wire's shriek following as Rachel jerked back when the same black cloud settled over both of them again. She reached down to clutch Rad to her chest, eyes shut tightly as she just wanted to wake up.

* * *

Rachel gasped as she felt a hand shake her shoulder, and she froze up when she opened her eyes, but as her vision adjusted to the light streaming in through the camper window, she found it was only Rad's mother Cindy leaning over her.

The older blonde's smiling face settled the mounting terror Rachel had felt almost instantly. "Breakfast is in five, wake Rad up and meet us outside." She said and glanced at pink book beside the young girl, and the card lying on top of it. "And be careful with that, you don't want to give yourself a paper cut." She said sternly and made her way out of the room.

Rachel found herself nodding absently, and her gaze lowered to the card as well. She breathed in deeply, and with a quickly resurging bout of fear, she quickly set the card back into its hollowed out compartment. When she closed the book, slamming down the lock in the process to hear a satisfying 'click', she felt a cold weight settle into the pit of her stomach.

It felt as though she had just done something unbearably awful.

The blonde shook her head furiously, refusing to be sucked in by the nonsense of her dream, or the strangeness of the book. It was odd to be sure, but nothing worth getting worked up about.

Still, Rachel found herself stuffing the book deep into one of the duffel bags regardless of how logic and reason dictated that her dream was just that; she only knew that didn't want to think about any of it for the rest of the trip.

And when all was said and done, with the glow of the family togetherness from the camping trip behind them on Sunday, Rachel threw the pink book into the attic, and never looked back.

The book lay on the dusty floor; forgotten and embittered, feeling the harsh sting of rejection for the next seven years.

* * *

 **So, I figured I should explain a few things: I'm trying not to use OCs for parts, even minor ones, so a few names may or not seem familiar as I plucked them out of the TF Wiki for the purpose of this fic, though even the wiki can't solve every problem.**

 **I also can't explain everything here about what happened in the prologue above, but I can say that the whole 'dream' sequence is my response to trying to fix the bizarre moment near the end of _Transformers Armada_ about the alternate timeline thing. So, uh, yes, a _Sakura_ _Card_ did it.**

 **Since this is going to be wildly different from the previous Cardcaptor Rad story, I decided to leave that story up as I'm reluctant to take it down. Elements from the story will undoubtedly show up, as this _is_ still a rewrite, but as it's been a while since I've actually _seen Armada_ , please bear with me as for the most part basic _Armada_ episode plots will hopefully be sort of intact, but other than that I'll be taking liberties with the material. **

**Lastly, I'm giving fair warning here that the slash element from the previous story will carry on over here, but for the most part it's just going to be relegated to backstory or overtones until shown or stated otherwise.**


	2. Chapter 1: Windfall Part 1

**Chapter 1: Windfall Part 1**

 _(Alternative Title: And So It Begins)_

* * *

He could feel a strange sensation wash over him, his eyes taking in the pink book in front of him. He leaned against his older cousin's shoulder, his eyes never straying as Rachel picked the book up. When he touched the lock, it opened, and he felt an overwhelming feel of hostility.

Something about this felt wrong, as though he should not have been scared, that he was not the intended target of such anger, but it was suffocating all the same. He felt his grip on Rachel slip away, a weightless sensation settling over him, and when he looked up, he found himself staring into the eyes of a blue robot.

When he opened his mouth to speak-

-the alarm clock started beeping.

Rad groaned as he turned over in his bed, blinking blearily as he grumpily slammed his hand down on the 'off' button of his digital clock. He sighed as silence reigned once more throughout the room, and he closed his eyes while his brows furrowed in irritation. He could already feel the details of his dream slipping away, and he wondered how long this was going to last.

The blond had been nervous about staying with Rachel, as even though he loved her, he knew that there wasn't much they could do together with most of her time being taken up by her classes or her evening job at the town's bed and breakfast. Rad frowned as he pulled his pillow to his chest, arms wrapping around it to rest his chin on the soft down. _He_ hadn't wanted to leave town, to be uprooted by his parent's constant moving like what he'd watched his cousin go through over the years; the repeated pattern of going to a new town, settling in while your parents did their thing, and then only to move back and feel like an outsider because everything just seemed different no matter how little time may have past.

Rad was lucky that all parties had agreed to this, and he was immensely grateful to his cousin for letting him use her spare room. He didn't want to bother her with his nerves of being away from his parents, or the weird dreams that seemed to be occurring in the two nights he'd already spent here.

This was his choice, he couldn't forget that.

Opening his eyes once more, Rad dragged himself out of bed and made his way to the bathroom with a clean change of clothes. When he was finished in the bathroom, Rad made his way towards the kitchen where his cousin had already gotten dressed and was drinking her morning coffee while intermittently eating her cereal.

Sitting down in the seat across from Rachel after retrieving his own bowl, Rad reached for the box of Frosted Flakes in the center of the table and the milk next to it. Breakfast had always been a silent affair, as Rad discovered that Rachel hated mornings just as much as he did, but he didn't really mind as it gave him time to clear his head for the day.

Rachel patted down the pocket on her vest, frowning as she furrowed her brow. "Go get your shoes on; I need to go get my keys."

Rad nodded silently as the blonde got up from her seat, both mug and bowl empty. The boy hurriedly finished his cereal before he gathered up all the dishes and put them into the sink, and placed the milk and the Frosted Flakes back into their respective areas. He walked over to the shoe rack by the door, and avoided bumping into his bike, something his parents had gotten him so Rachel didn't have to worry about dropping him off at school when she had to go to early classes.

When a scream came from Rachel's room, it sent a jolt through Rad that chased the remaining drowsiness away as he ran down the hall. He leaned on the doorway, his eyes searching through the room for any sign of a disturbance, but all he could see was his cousin staring down at a parcel in her hands, the top of the brown paper ripped and clutched tightly in her grasp, her face full of surprised horror.

Rad furrowed his brow as it registered just _what_ the parcel was, and it confused him greatly as to why Rachel would be so scared of a pink book. "What is it? What's wrong?"

The blonde slowly began to exhale, her eyes never losing their intensity as she dropped the book into one of her drawers and scrambled over to her desk to place the top of the chair against the drawer and backed away. She ushered Rad out of her room, the end of her keys digging into his back before she closed the door behind her and turned Rad around, her gaze locking onto his and her expression now dead serious.

"Rad, just where did that package come from?"

"Well, Aunt Joy stopped by yesterday while you were still in class, and she wanted to drop off a few things for you." Rad explained nervously. "She said that she and uncle both cleaned out the attic, and they found something which they thought you would like. Whatever I did wrong-I'm sorry, please don't be mad at me!"

Rachel sighed, her expression softening. "I'm not mad, it's just…I need to have a talk with my parents about giving me stuff they _think_ I'd like." She grumbled. The blonde smiled, but there was still an uneasiness to it that had Rad wondering just what the real problem was. "We better get going; I don't think your friends are gonna like waiting around."

Rad nodded reluctantly as he went to retrieve his backpack, but paused as he stared at Rachel's door, his brows furrowing as it felt like there was almost something really in that room. His cousin nudged him on the shoulder, and Rad snapped out of his daze to trail after her. He paused once they were out in the hall as Rachel locked the apartment, and they were off yet again for the elevator; he wanted to ask just what was so worrisome about a book, but he could see the agitation under the smile Rachel mustered up and he didn't want her to rethink the cave exploration he and Carlos had talked her into overseeing.

Alexis had thought they were dumb to go off unsupervised to a cave, but had inexplicably changed her tune when Rad brought up the fact Rachel was going to be coming along. He figured it was just that Alexis saw his cousin as one of those 'responsible adults'.

Once they reached the lobby and went outside to the parking lot, Rad took his usual spot in the passenger seat while Rachel turned on the engine of her beat up blue and yellow car. The car ride was driven in silence as Rad could still see that his cousin was a bit more freaked out by the book than she let on; just what about it was so disturbing?

When they stopped by Carlos' house, the boy was waiting outside with the exploration equipment his father was letting them use; Rad guessed it mostly consisted of flashlights, energy bars, water bottles, and a strict promise from Rachel that she'd bring Carlos back in one piece-a first aid kit was also likely included in that bag as it was to be almost expected from kids running around outside.

"Hey, man." Carlos high-fived Rad as the blond lowered his window for the express purpose of doing just that before the brunet got into the backseat. "Ray; where can I put this?" he asked hefting the second pack with him.

"Set it in the trunk, that's where your backpacks are gonna be going after anyways." Rachel replied.

"So, are you both super stoked to go exploring?" Carlos asked excitedly as he put the duffel bag into the trunk behind his seat. After he put his seatbelt on, Rachel pulled the car off the curb and drove down the block towards Alexis' house.

"Totally." Rad said as he turned in his seat to fist-bump Carlos' hand.

When Rachel reached the Alexis' home, Rad's neck was beginning to ache from having looked over his shoulder the entire time while speaking with Carlos. To spare himself more pain, he sheepishly realized that he probably should have sat in the back in the first place.

"Um, you can have the front seat." Rad said to Alexis as he got out of the car, and the girl nodded before primly getting into the passenger seat, and the blond rushed around to the other side of the vehicle before hopping into the seat behind Rachel's. "Okay, that's all the stops we have to make."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Except for school, of course. It's not gonna be magically three o'clock just because you say so."

Rad rubbed the back of his neck as Carlos snickered. "Right, kinda slipped my mind."

Alexis shifted in her seat, and she reached into her backpack to pull out a small box wrapped in a red ribbon. She held it up to the blonde before Rachel could start driving again. "This is for you," she said and her face flushed faintly, "just to say thank you for chaperoning us."

"Well, you didn't have to, but thank you." Rachel said as she opened the box, and Rad peered around her seat to see a small key with a pink circle at the top and a five-pointed star in the center while on both sides of the circle were two tiny wings. He blinked, only to find that the key was now a dark-colored mood ring.

 _'What just…nah, I'm probably thinking too hard about it.'_ Rad thought, but he still felt curious despite himself. He caught Rachel's narrowed gaze in the rear-view mirror, and he sheepishly grinned at her before buckling up.

Rachel shook her head as she put the box into her pocket and set the car once more into drive. "Just to set up some ground rules; we stick together in the cave, no going off on your own, and when I saw we leave, you listen- _got it?"_

"Yes." The three children chorused.

Rachel nodded. "Good, and I'm glad to see at least _one_ of you dressed appropriately."

Rad rolled his eyes as Alexis flushed, as while both he and Carlos were in their sneakers, shorts and t-shirts, Alexis was wearing hiking boots, cargo jeans, and a long-sleeved shirt. "Even when we're not in school she's a suck up."

Alexis turned in her seat to glower at him. "I _heard_ that."

Rad looked out his window bashfully as Carlos once more snickered.

* * *

Furrowing his brow, Rad blinked as he rubbed his eyes. _'Oh no, I fell asleep again.'_ He thought, vaguely recalling resting his eyes when his history teacher started on one of their lectures. Rad flushed as he saw that the room was completely empty, and wondered just how long he'd been like this. ' _Why didn't Carlos and Alexis wake me up?'_ he looked up at the clock, but felt immensely confused when he saw that the time hadn't passed at all; it was still ten a.m.

Rad got up from his seat and made his way up towards one of the large windows. His eyes widened as he took in the night sky, with stars twinkling overhead, but this only had him feeling even more confused. The blond made his way out of the classroom and hurried down the hall toward his locker, but when the school began to shake, he stopped abruptly.

Rad looked towards one of the walls, blinking as he found that there was a window there now, but what was happening outside took precedence. He ignored the fact that the surroundings around the school mirrored that of the mountainous range of the Black Hills and that the sky was now as blue as could be; no, his attention was focused solely on the two _giant robots._

While the room shook when they grappled with each other, Rad could hear absolutely no other sound when the green and purple one with the antlers opened its mouth to speak. The other one consisted of red, blue, and a bit of yellow; it had a metal plate over where its mouth would have been, but the fact it pointed at the other gave Rad the impression it was talking as well.

Neither robot gave any indication that they were aware of the bizarreness happening around them, but Rad took in every detail he could, including the purple emblem on the green and purple robot, and the red emblem on the other one.

Rad didn't look away until he realized he was holding something in his hands. He blinked as he stared down at a pink book, which he recognized as the one Rachel freaked out over. Rad frowned as he felt the same overwhelming hostility from it, but when he blinked again, the book had been replaced with a small green shield embedded with several purple stones. "What…?" he asked aloud, but as if in reply, the shield glowered and floated several feet away from him.

Rad was dimly aware that the scene outside was no longer there, and the sky was dark once more, leaving the glowing shield to be the only bright light against night backdrop. The blond pulled away on instinct when a robot just a bit shorter than him appeared in a burst of rainbow light.

It tilted its head, and Rad stared back at it. Something about this felt painfully familiar, like he knew this blue robot from somewhere, only that _he_ had been the smaller one. Rad found himself reaching out to the blue robot, who lifted its own hand to meet his.

Rad felt he should know its name, that the designation was just at the tip of his tongue. "Hi-"

"Mr. White!"

Rad's eyes snapped open, and he found to his embarrassment that he'd just been caught sleeping in class. He flushed at the feel of a dozen eyes looking at him and the snickering throughout the room. "Um, I was just resting my eyes?"

"This is the second time I've caught you sleeping in my class; one more and it'll be detention for a week." His teacher said sternly. "Now before Mr. White dozed off, could someone please explain the phrase from page…"

Rad leaned down on his desk, barely managing to restrain himself from banging his head against it.

* * *

When the final bell rang, Rad was deeply relieved despite how Alexis was staring at him with disapproval clear in her eyes. Carlos only looked at him sympathetically, but hadn't resisted the rib against him about how even _he_ hadn't fallen asleep in English class.

Rad sighed and rolled his eyes as he leaned against the front door, his backpack slung over his shoulder. "How is it _my_ fault anyway if the teacher's so boring he puts kids to sleep?"

"Not kids, just you." Carlos retorted, but Alexis' glare intensified.

"If you don't get good grades, you'll never get into college and you won't have any career options." She said.

"Says the girl who wants to be president." Rad retorted. "Well, not _everyone_ has such big hopes for themselves; some of us would just be happy with a quiet life."

"We're kids; do we really need to be talking about this anyway?" Carlos questioned. "My mom's already been getting on my case lately about grades and stuff; I don't need it from you too, Alexis."

The brunette only huffed, but her features softened almost immediately and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. Alexis scurried down the steps of the school landing and rushed up to Rachel's car as the blonde got out.

Rad shook his head as he and Carlos made their way toward the vehicle, and he saw his cousin looked much more relaxed than she had this morning. "Good day?"

Rachel's smile widened. "College might be stressful, but it was enough to take my mind off…" she trailed off, and her grin faltered for a moment. "Never mind," she said and opened the trunk, "alright, bags in; I wanna be back before dark and we'll stop for ice cream, how's that sound?"

Rad's face lit up and with the rushed way both Carlos and Alexis scrambled to throw their bags into the trunk and get their own respective seats, the promise of ice cream was just as appealing to them. The blond was a bit miffed that Alexis took the passenger seat as he hadn't offered to give it up this time, and he sullenly got into the backseat.

The blond leaned against the window, his eyes gazing absently over the landscape as he thought of his dream, and the foggy details he could just barely remember. He hated how that worked, as he felt he was missing something important; he'd had a weird dream for two nights, and now he'd had one during the day: what was his mind trying to tell him?

Rad opened his mouth, but caught himself in time before he could speak. As much as he wanted too, he wasn't quite sure how to broach the subject with Rachel or if his friends wouldn't tease him about it in the first place; they wouldn't be a problem, but he couldn't risk anyone _else_ overhearing if they wanted to talk to him about it out in public. ' _Just glad that Billy decided to skip today or I'd have been made fun of for that stint in English class.'_ He was distracted by Rachel driving past a house that had Alexis peering out at it, her brow furrowed in consternation. "Something wrong?"

The brunette blinked and glanced back at him. "No, just that my own cousin's family isn't back yet from their trip to Hong Kong. My mom got a post-card from my aunt that they'd be back soon, but that was almost a week ago."

"Maybe they just got held up at the airport or something." Carlos said, but he crossed his arms and puffed out his cheeks. "Besides, your cousin's kind of annoying."

Alexis glowered at him. "Kelly is not annoying; she just knows what she wants." She said and turned up her nose. "Which is more than can be said for _some_ people."

Carlos' brow twitched. "Well _excuse_ me for wanting to enjoy being a kid!"

"Now, now, settle down you two." Rachel warned. "Don't make me turn this car around."

Carlos grumbled apologetically as he hunkered down in his seat, while Alexis fidgeted as her mumbled out her 'sorry'. Rad was left bemused by how Rachel could get them to stop arguing when he couldn't. _'Is it because she's the adult?'_ he assumed that was the reason, on Alexis' part anyway. Rad nearly shuddered at the idea of Carlos only listening because he had a crush on Rachel; all it would take is his friend making one off-hand remark about how 'hot' she was and things would get incredibly awkward. _'Friends are supposed to goof around and play video games, not talk about how much they like that friend's cousin.'_

Though it hadn't happened yet, Rad secretly dreaded the day Carlos would slip up and say something about Rachel to him.

The rest of the drive was uneventful, as Rad only stared out at trees he'd seen before on car rides with his parents. When Rachel parked at the bottom of the mountain, Rad got out and stretched his limbs while she pulled out the duffel bag from the trunk. He paused when his cousin went over to Alexis' side and the girl flushed when Rachel opened the door before leaning down to rifle through the glove compartment in the dashboard.

"I asked Marty for advice, and he said-" Rachel paused as she looked over both Alexis and Carlos, who were furrowing their brows at the unfamiliar name. "Er, he's the professor's aide- _anyway,_ I asked him since I was going to check out the caves with you three, if there was anything more to bring along. He suggested that if by chance we _do_ get separated, that we should be in contact, and since I can't trust cell reception up here…" Rachel held up four walkie-talkies for emphasis.

Carlos excitedly grabbed the one offered to him and turned on the switch, grinning as it clicked on with static resonating from it. "Cool, I feel like we really are gonna go on one of those adventures that my dad always talked about."

"And a walkie-talkie is what does it?" Alexis quipped, and Carlos glowered at her. They both straightened up though when Rachel gave them another warning look as she handed Rad another one of the talkies.

"Now, keep these on at all times, and you will be _so_ sorry if you break this rule. I'm in charge of your safety, and I take this very seriously." Rachel said, her tone stern and commanding.

Rad nodded right along with his friends, but once he saw the unnerving look in his cousin's eyes pass, he found himself growing hyped as well. "Can we at least race up the mountain?" he asked, but winced when Rachel glowered at him. "Too soon?"

The blonde rolled her eyes as she began her hike up through the trees. "Don't make me issue the buddy-system, 'cause I'll have you all hold hands."

Rad and Carlos reeled back from Alexis, whose eye twitched as she jerked away from them as well before sprinting after Rachel. The two remaining followed not long after.

"That won't be necessary." Rad said hurriedly, and Carlos nodded along with him.

Rachel sent him a sly smirk, but failed to notice the sullen look that crossed Alexis' face. "Just be sure to stay in sight, and we won't need to use the walkies, okay?"

"Yeah, I got it." Rad muttered, his face flushing as Rachel reached back to muss up his hair. He petulantly pushed her hand away, as things like this were meant for just the privacy of Rachel's apartment; he still had _some_ dignity to preserve after all.

As they hiked up the hillside and the cave got closer, Rad began to feel a strange sense of déjà vu as the trees were thinned down until the rocky formations started to appear. When the group approached the cavern entrance, Rad froze as he saw the large alcove between two mountains, and furrowed his brow as he had a flash of two robots grappling there.

"Hey, hurry up, man!" Carlos yelled.

Rad snapped out of his daze, and he found that the other three were already in the cave with Rachel handing out the flashlights. He sprinted to catch up with them, and flushed under the raised brow Rachel sent him. "Sorry, just thought I saw something on the cliff side-probably nothing."

The blonde hummed noncommittally as she handed him a flashlight and clicked hers on, the children following suit. "I get being distracted by your surroundings, but now's really not the time, okay?" she asked and Rad nodded solemnly. "Good, now stick close and follow me."

Rad rolled his eyes when Alexis sidled up next to Rachel, while he and Carlos lagged behind just a little. He pointed the light around the cave walls, and he wondered just how far this cavern went. He paused when he felt a pounding start to resound through his head. He clutched at his skull, his eyes closing tightly as the aching grew; there was something at the back of his mind, something he thought he should remember, but what-

 _"We'll be able to play together real soon, you'll see!"_

Rad gasped, his eyes growing wide. "High Wire."

Carlos looked at him strangely. "What? Dude, do you need air already?"

Rad's eyes only widened a fraction more as he looked past Rachel and Alexis, a tug in his mind as he could feel the stirring of something _else_ in his head. It was still faint, but as if in response to his voice there was a warm feeling washing over him as though it was happy he was here. Rad rushed past Alexis and Rachel, the latter of who he could hear shouting at him to stop, but he ignored it as the feeling only grew stronger. _'I'm almost there.'_ he thought, but where 'there' was he had no clue.

With the flashlight not pointed in front of him, Rad was more surprised than he should have been when he found his next step not touching the ground. He screamed as he found himself tumbling down a short slope, the warm and fuzzies replaced with unrelenting terror that he'd just done something monumentally stupid.

Rad groaned as he reached the bottom, only coming to a stop when he felt the solid, flat ground beneath him once more. Disoriented, Rad was vaguely aware that his name was being called again, and it took an even longer moment for him to realize where it was coming from. Rolling onto his back, Rad squinted against the light being shined down at him from the top of the slope. "I'm alive, I think."

Rachel's relieved sigh was echoed throughout the cavern. "That's good," she said, but then her tone became furious, "because I'm going to kill you myself!" The blond saw his cousin turn to his worried friends. "Stay here, I gotta go check on Rad-and I _mean it_ you two." She said harshly and carefully slid down the slope, and when she reached him, Rachel's expression was set between relief and anger. "What were you _thinking?_ Oh, wait, you clearly _weren't!"_

Rad groaned as he pulled himself into an upright position. "If it's any consolation, I don't think anything's broken."

"It's not." Rachel said flatly. Her touch was surprisingly gentle despite her anger, and she checked over Rad thoroughly for any sign of scraps and cuts. His arms and legs were littered with them, but nothing was bleeding. "After, I'm taking you to a doctor and seeing if there's any worry for a concussion-or just to check if you have a brain at all."

Rad grimaced. "I know you're mad, but I had a really good reason for running off, I…" he trailed off, as once the pain began to leave him; he felt that the presence at the back of his mind was startlingly close.

"You have a reason? I'd love to hear it." Rachel said annoyed.

Rad frowned as he got back to his feet, which hurt more than he cared to admit, and gingerly picked up his flashlight. "It sounds weird, but I thought that there was something down here." He said and set about looking over the cavern with the flashlight.

Rachel snorted. "Rad, the only reason I agreed to bring you three here was that I was sure there _wasn't_ anything here."

"No, I'm serious; I really think-" Rad stopped as the light glinted off a green glint in the ground. "Look, I found something."

Rachel frowned as she approached the glint, and knelt down to dust away the dirt. "This is strange; I've never seen this kind of shield before." She said once she cleared the debris away, while Rad was left stunned to see a small green shield that had been in his dream. "It looks too small to be a standard shield, and much too ornate; it could have been a decoration, but it's still in better condition than I would have expected from being in a cave."

"Pick it up." Rad said, his eyes locked onto the shield.

Rachel looked up at him incredulously. "What? This is still a discovery, we can't just take it."

"If you won't, then I will." Rad said, letting a pained grimace cross his features as he forced himself to start walking over _. 'I hate to think about how much I'm gonna hurt tomorrow paying for that stunt I just pulled.'_

"Okay, okay." Rachel relented and Rad halted. She reluctantly started to feel around the edges and began to jimmy the shield out of the ground. "We'll take it with us, and tomorrow I'll bring it to my professor to carbon date it properly."

Rad nodded absently, his eyes still locked onto the green plate. Being so close, he could feel a strange surge from shield, and he leaned in expectantly, but not quite sure what he was waiting for as he reacted to the joy that washed over him.

Rachel grunted as she pulled the plate free, her expression momentarily set in triumph before it turned to shock and surprise as the panel began to glow. She dropped it and reeled back, falling onto her backside as two beams of light shot out through the cave ceiling; one green, and the other yellow.

There was utter silence for a moment, but the cave ominously started to shake.

"Earthquake!" Rachel shouted horrified, and she quickly shot to her feet.

"Wait, grab the panel!" Rad exclaimed, but when Rachel gave him an annoyed and incredulous glare, he stood firm. "We're not leaving without it!"

The blonde rolled her eyes before quickly stuffing the panel into the bag, and she supported most of Rad's weight onto her as they precariously made their way up the slope. Carlos and Alexis helped pull them up onto the edge, their faces laced with terror but Rachel's features were calm despite the tight grip she had on Rad's wrist before hauling him onto her back. "Alright, let's get out of here."

Both of the kids nodded, and the three of them promptly began sprinting out of the cavern, and once they were out in the clearing, Rachel set Rad onto one of the boulders as she caught her breath while the younger blond winced as he could now see the litter of scratches on his arms and legs more clearly; his friends cringed as well, but now that they were out of immediate danger, Alexis glared at him.

"What we you thinking? Do you know how-"

"It's alright; I already gave him the riot act in the cave." Rachel interrupted, her expression tightening. "And there's going to be plenty more after we get back to town."

"Oh man," Carlos clutched his hair and looked worriedly out in the direction of Lincoln, "what if the town's been hit? We have to get back there pronto!"

Rachel nodded tiredly. "Okay, but let's try and keep calm." She said soothingly.

Rad reached into the bag, and pulled out the plate. "Besides, look what I found? Isn't it cool?"

"Whatever." Carlos said distractedly as he kept glancing in the direction of their hometown. "Can we just go home?" he asked as he looked pleadingly at Rachel. "I really wanna make sure my parents are okay."

The blonde knelt down to the ground, pressing her hand to it as she waited for any tremors. "Sure, but we'll have to watch out for aftershocks, okay?"

"Earthquakes aren't supposed to be happen here, are they?" Alexis questioned uncertainly; while Rad wanted to make a crack about her not knowing something, he felt shaken about the fact it could be the panel in his hands which caused the problem.

"I need to talk to you." Rad said quietly to his cousin, who frowned worriedly.

"Alright." She said and looked between Carlos and Alexis. "I should patch up Rad, so can you two make your way back down the hill? I know this is a lot to ask, but you have to be strong right now, okay?" she said softly.

Alexis wrapped her arms around herself, but Carlos nodded determinedly.

Rachel smiled at them both as she took the first aid kit out of the duffel bag and handed it to Carlos along with her car keys. "You can put the radio on if you want, but no joyriding." She said sternly, though there was a playful edge in her expression to try and offset the fear they were feeling.

Rad wasn't sure if it worked, but at least his friends didn't seem like they were on the brink of freaking out anymore. He waited until they were out of earshot and disappeared in the treeline before he waved the plate at Rachel. "Do you think it could have been this?"

Rachel frowned as she began to dab at the cuts along Rad's leg. "I don't know; it just doesn't seem logical. How could pulling a shield out of the ground cause an earthquake?"

"Maybe it was on a fault line?" Rad offered, but even to him that sounded dubious. He winced when Rachel began cleaning the cut on his forehead before she put a Band-Aid over it. "How much trouble am I in?"

"You are so grounded for the weekend." Rachel said flatly. "The only reason I'm not grounding you for the _week_ is because I'm more relieved you're alive." She explained, her voice softening at the end. "Now, how do you _really_ feel?"

"For the most part, I'm just aching but nothing's sprained or broken." Rad replied honestly.

Rachel nodded, but she still supported his weight against her. "We'd better get going; if _we_ felt the quake, I'm going to be dealing with some worried parents."

Rad looked up at her as he held the panel under his arm, but froze as he spotted a gathering purple mass in the sky. "What the heck is that!?"

Rachel furrowed her brow, but when she looked up in the same direction, she let out a loud gasp. "I don't know, but I sure know don't wanna find out." She said and hurried out of the near desert-like mountain range towards the treeline.

Rad tried to hobble along quickly, but his movement stopped all together as out of the light a robot materialized, and the image was so startlingly familiar, that Rad could do nothing but stare as Rachel's grip on him tightened. "It's a giant robot…"

"I can see that." Rachel hissed under her breath.

The robot glanced around at its surroundings, but then its gaze landed on the two blonds. Its red eyes narrowed, and Rad felt a chill go down his spine as he realized it was staring at him. "You," it stated weightily, a metallic edge in its masculine voice, "will hand over that Mini-Con panel and I shall spare your pathetic lives."

Rad blinked, as he found himself amazed that the robot could _speak_ , let alone be able to talk in English; how had _that_ happened? It took him a moment more to register that it was also talking about something that the blond couldn't quite grasp. "Mini-Con?" he questioned, and he felt Rachel stiffen next to him.

"We don't have what you want." She said tensely.

The purple and green robot narrowed its eyes further until they looked like slits. "Do not attempt to lie to me; I can clearly see that other fleshling holding it."

Rachel looked down at the plate as Rad did the same, before she looked calmly up at the robot though Rad felt her grip had not lessened in the slightest. "And how do we know you'll let us live if we do?"

"If you do not, I most certainly _will_ kill you." The robot rumbled.

Rad's eyes widened, but he felt a protectiveness towards the panel in his arm. He didn't know just what was so special about it, just that he'd gotten in a lot of trouble for it. "Not a chance!"

"Rad!" Rachel scolded, but the younger blond shook his head.

"No, I'm not letting him take High Wire." He said, the name slipping out on accident.

Rachel's expression went slack, her eyes widening. "High…" she trailed off, a deeply troubled look crossing her face.

Their attention was abruptly turned back to the large robot, whose on face was contorting darkly. "Such unwise creatures you are." It said with a quiet ominousness. "I will simply have to take it from you then."

 _"Stand down,_ Megatron."

Rad's attention snapped to the side of the area, where he felt another sense of déjà vu as he took in a red and blue robot standing majestically against the sunlight. Even if he was still wary, he felt immensely relieved when the purple robot turned its ire toward the other with a clear look of disdain.

" _Prime."_ Megatron growled. "This mini-con panel is mine; you will do well to stay out of my way."

"I will not let you attack the inhabitants of this planet." Prime replied firmly.

"Then so be it." Megatron said darkly, and without another word, he lunged for the red and blue bot, who met him head-on in a stale mate.

Rad was struck with a rather intense case of déjà vu, his mind overlapping an image from his dream with the one in front of him. He felt almost detached as he held the green plate in his hands, but that was where the familiarity ended as Rachel began put a finger to her lip and quickly had him climb onto her back before she began a hurried trek back towards the car.

Glancing over his shoulder, Rad was tense the whole was down, as even when the trees began to cover their escape, he still worried that any moment they could have noticed he and Rachel were gone. When his cousin reached the bottom, Rad cringed as he heard a furious metallic roar ring out that sounded suspiciously like the baritone from the purple bot.

Alexis, who had been leaning against the passenger side door, jumped and Carlos yelped from his place in the driver's seat. "What was that?"

"Is it an aftershock?" Carlos called.

Rachel didn't answer as she ushered Rad into a seat, and quickly got Carlos to trade places. "Buckle up, and hold on-I'm about to break the speed limit in the next two seconds."

Rad didn't waste time, and when those two seconds had gone by, he was pressed flat against the back of his seat. He turned his head to see if he could spot either of the robots, but when he remembered the weight in his hands, the blond realized that there was a much bigger question at play. ' _Just what did that purple robot want with this 'mini-con?''_

And try as he may, Rad still couldn't quite grasp why that term was so familiar to him.

* * *

 **If you noticed the change I made to the beams High Wire sent into space from three to two; I realized it wouldn't make much sense for there to _be_ three. One would be for the mini-cons, and the other would be a general signaling. To have beams meant _specifically_ for the factions to pick up would imply that the Autobots or High Wire himself wanted the Decepticons to show up on earth as well; by making the only other beam a neutral yellow, I hope I've softened the implications.**


	3. Chapter 2: Windfall Part 2

**Chapter 2: Windfall Part 2**

* * *

All it took for Megatron to roughly break their stalemate, was a glance at the spot where the organics were. He let out a furious roar as he shoved Optimus away and pulled back, his optics narrowed and cold. "Those little fleshlings have taken my mini-con!" he snarled.

As troubling as it was going to be to try and convince the two organics he had no ill will for them or any other earth inhabitant, Optimus knew that Megatron gaining the mini-con panel would be far more disastrous. He glanced to his sides, and took note of the fact his two subordinates had arrived. "You're surrounded and outgunned. Surrender, Megatron."

The other mech scowled at him, fury written plainly across his faceplate as his fists clenched. "This is not over." He said darkly, and his form slowly began to warp away.

"No, it never is." Optimus said quietly. He straightened his back strut as his soldiers assembled before him. "I trust you've both arrived intact? No adverse effects?"

"Nah, but maybe one of the 'Cons hit a snag and showed up wrong; would explain why they ain't here." Hot Shot said.

"What about you, sir?" As their medic, Red Alert was likely already running a scan over them both regardless of what Optimus' answer would be, but with only the three of them having been able to be spared at the moment for this mission, morale would need to be kept.

"I am fine, Red Alert." Optimus replied, and paused a moment to allow the medic to check the results of his reading before he nodded and the red and blue bot continued, "Though before you both arrived, I found Megatron terrorizing two of the organic inhabitants. They left while we were pre-occupied, and took the mini-con panel with them."

Hot Shot grimaced at the news. "This is just _great_ , how are we supposed to find these organics?"

Optimus pondered this as well, but knew that a few things had to be taken care of if they were to complete their mission and avoid further detection. "We'll deal with that when the time comes, for now we must do recon. Find a vehicle to scan, and try to locate a suitable base of operations. We will return to this spot in the next three cycles," he commanded, and his tone turn on a stern tone, "and it is imperative that we use discretion; no making contact until we are settled."

Red Alert nodded solemnly, but though Hot Shot looked ready to argue, he too nodded-if a bit reluctantly. Satisfied that his subordinates knew the severity of the situation, Optimus ordered them to move out.

* * *

Rad frowned as he curled up on his pillow. The apartment was eerily silent, and after receiving a clean bill of relative health from the emergency station set up at the clinic, Rachel had gone to check on her own parents. She'd reluctantly left him behind, but knew that likely dragging an exhausted pre-teen around wasn't exactly a wise decision if he got cranky enough to act out.

Before, Rad would have welcomed being left on his own, as even the hour after his own school and the time when Rachel's evening class ended, he enjoyed the time by himself. Now though, he just wanted someone to hug him, and a pillow made a poor substitute; he could clearly remember the fuss Alexis and Carlos' parents had made over them, the way his friends had been held by their parents and how relieved they had been to see them safe.

Rad felt guilty that he envied them, that he _shouldn't_ feel this way as Rachel was doing what she could. It was still his choice not to go live with his aunt and uncle because of their precarious occupations; even if his mind viciously reminded him that Rachel was being paid to look after him, Rad liked to think that his cousin loved him as much as he loved her, and that the pay check was just to help with food. _'I shouldn't have run off.'_ He thought, sighing as he reluctantly sat up and looked over his Band-Aid ridden arms. _'I knew it was wrong, and now Rachel's probably rethinking her choice to let me stay.'_

In the back of his mind, Rad felt a wash of sympathy that was not his own, and with it came once more the thoughts of what had happened _after_ he'd had his cousin take the panel out of the ground. ' _Mini-con. That_ does _sound familiar.'_ He thought, as after panic and dread had faded once they got away from the hills and he realized they hadn't been followed, Rad began to wonder about the panel again. _'That giant robot wanted it, but why?'_

Rad got off his bed and made his way out of his room towards the front foyer. Rachel hadn't known what to do with the plate, so she'd just tossed it in the closet by the door and told him she'd deal with it later. Rad bit his lip as he set his bike against the other wall and opened the closet door; he peered down at the floor where the panel laid haphazardly. ' _It doesn't look like much, but that purple robot wouldn't have wanted it if there wasn't_ something _special about it, right?'_

Truthfully, Rad didn't have an answer, and he held the panel at arms-length as he stiffly lifted it off the floor. "What are you?" he muttered, brow furrowed as he examined the plate once more for any detail he might have missed the first time.

When the panel suddenly began to glow, Rad flinched as he dropped it and scurried back. He was filled with fear and fascination as he saw a small rainbow of colors emit from the panel; he had no idea what was happening, but the fact he thought he _should_ know what this was didn't help alleviate his wariness.

Rad stumbled into the table in the kitchenette, cursing the fact that the apartment was too small for there to be a wall separating the hall and kitchen area or the living room. His eyes widened as a small robot appeared above the panel, and for a long moment they just stared at each other.

The robot tilted its head and its eyes blinked. _"You did get big, Rad. You're even taller than me now."_

Rad tensed, his fingers clutching at the chair in case he needed a makeshift weapon. "How do you know my name?"

The robot slumped, and Rad felt a bizarre sense of sadness that wasn't his own. _"You don't remember? I waited so long to play with you-I thought we could have fun together!"_ It said and crossed its arms childishly.

"I want to play." Rad found himself saying, and his eyes widened as the robot jumped forward. He tensed again as two arms wrapped around him, but he was more surprised as he was lifted up and the robot twirled him around.

 _"I knew you would! This is going to be great!"_ The robot cheered. It set Rad down and the pre-teen's fear was replaced with bemusement.

How was Rad supposed to 'know' just who this was? _Why_ did he think that should know? Somewhere deep inside the blond, he felt a joy he hadn't felt since he was a little kid; it made him think of his dream, the one that he always forgot when he woke. _'Was it even a dream? Did that really happen back then? Could I have met-_ ' he stopped and blinked as it suddenly dawned on him. "You're name's High Wire, isn't it?"

The blue robot nodded its head rapidly. _"That's right; you really had me thinking that you forgot about me. I could hear you in the cave, when someone called your name, and it just made me so happy that you finally found me!"_ It really did sound deliriously overjoyed, so much that Rad found himself feeling guilty about crushing its spirits.

"Well, you're gonna have to catch me up. I really _didn't_ know you were there, or who you were; your name was from a dream I had." Rad explained.

High Wire paused, his form tensing abruptly. _"You…don't remember me after all?"_ he asked and Rad slowly shook his head. The blond felt a sense of despair that was not his own, and he began to realize that as bizarre as it was the emotion could have been coming from the little bot. Just as quickly, the sadness was gone as High Wire straightened up and clasped his hands together hopefully. _"That's okay; we can still get to know each other though, right?"_

Guilt had Rad nodding along. "Yeah, sure, I don't see why not." He paused and bit his lips, wondering if their alleged previous encounter had anything to do with why he was able to feel High Wire's emotions. "How can I understand you? You're talking in beeps, but they sound like words in my head."

 _"Oh, it happened when I met you the first time."_ High Wire explained. " _We mini-cons can form mental links with bulks-uh, that's what we call the big bots because they were, well, **big."**_

Rad thought back to the two 'bulks' he and Rachel had encountered up in the bills. "There was this green and purple robot with antlers that wanted your, uh, plate I guess? Anyway, this red and blue bot showed up and called the other 'Megatron,' who said the others name was 'Prime.'"

High Wire shuddered. " _I know, I could hear them. It's a good thing you ran; I certainly wouldn't have wanted you to get hurt."_

"So they _would_ have killed us." Rad said softly.

High Wire shook his head. " _Megatron would have, but Optimus Prime, the other bot, wouldn't have. He's the reason me and the other mini-cons were able to get off Cybertron-their home world."_ He explained, and his tone became sheepish as he twiddled his 'thumbs' together. " _I must admit, in my joy of you finding me, I forgot I was still connected to the systems of our ship, and so I accidently sent out the beacons which activated my fellow mini-cons as well as the signal that brought the bulks here."_

Rad's lips twitched wryly. "So I guess we're _both_ responsible; I made Rachel take you out of the dirt, while you got overexcited and goofed up."

High Wire nodded shyly, but then he paused and tilted his head once more. " _Rachel? I remember her too, did she grow as well?"_

"Well, yeah, she's nineteen." Rad replied. His brows furrowed as he realized the implications of what High Wire was saying. ' _Why wouldn't Rachel say anything? Does she think it was just a dream too?'_ he frowned as he ran a hand through his hair, but jerked back when High Wire abruptly looked at his bike, and a white light was scanned over it. His jaw dropped as High Wire's entire form broke down and folded into a replica of his bicycle. "How did you do that?"

 _"We and the bulks can transform if we scan a vehicle mode. I must presume that I am one, right? This would be really embarrassing otherwise."_ High Wire explained sheepishly.

Rad nodded absently. "Yeah, it's called a bike. Rachel's totally gonna flip when she sees you."

High Wire reassembled himself back into his robot form. _"I don't want Rachel to be jumping when she sees me. Perhaps I shouldn't introduce myself."_

Rad shook his head. "No, it's okay; if Rachel already knows you, then she shouldn't be so freaked out. Those big bots spooked us, but you're even smaller than _me_. I promise it'll be alright when she gets back."

 _"Well, if you're sure, then I wouldn't mind seeing her again."_ High Wire replied.

"That's the spirit." Rad said, but paused as he heard a strange sound coming from down the hall. It was a strange, low growl; it sounded like a cat, but even that had Rad cautiously grabbing the broomstick leaning against the refrigerator. Rad slowly walked down the hall, but aside from a slight jerk from noticing High Wire following him, he continued on and grimaced as found that the sound was coming from Rachel's room. _'Oh crud.'_

Rad debated whether he should go into the room, but he found that he couldn't in good conscience let some wild cat mess up his cousin's room. He glanced back at High Wire. "Stay here, and don't let anything out, okay?" he asked, and High Wire nodded solemnly.

The blond walked into the room, and his eyes roamed around the room closely. The window was closed, but Rad wasn't going to let that stop him as he made his way over to the curtains. He checked the locks, but whirled around when the growl came from the other side of the room. Rad looked at High Wire, who seemed just as confused before he pointed toward the drawer that was being held closed by the chair Rachel had put against it.

" _It came from in there."_ he whispered.

Rad nodded and crept up to the chair; setting the broom against the bed, the blond removed the chair. He froze as the small slit in the drawer began to emit a glow which had Rad opening the compartment as he stared down at the pink book Rachel had received. "What is the deal with this book?" he asked himself aloud, flinching when the wing clasp on the lock suddenly clicked open.

" _What is it?"_ High Wire asked as he came to stand beside Rad, peering around him at the pink book as well.

"It freaked Rachel out this morning, though I really don't know why it would." Rad explained, confusing lacing his tone as he opened the cover, and found a strangely familiar card greeting him. It said 'Return', and just like with High Wire, Rad felt something irritatingly familiar about it. He picked up the card, only to find another one underneath that High Wire picked up.

Rad set the book down on the bed as he took the card from the blue bot and tilted his head at it. It had the same pink border that the other cards had with the darker pink background, but in the center was a woman who seemed to lack a body from the chest down where she was holding two long tendrils of hair to her shoulders, where two tufts of what seemed to be fur extended into two moth-like wings overlapping over her nonexistent front. Her eyes were closed, and the only other color present beside the gold sun at the top and the star at the bottom, was the three thin, slanted upward wing shapes on both sides on her forehead that were orange.

Underneath the gold star was another banner with a different name on it. "Windy?" he questioned, brow furrowed.

The abrupt sensation of feeling like he was suffocating had him looking at High Wire in alarm; the little bot seemed unharmed, but he shrieked as he backpedalled and pointed at the card in Rad's hand, which had the blond looking down to see that it was glowing.

"What-" Before Rad could fully process just what was going on; a powerful wind flooded the room, which knocked Rad and Highwire off their feet and into the wall. The blond could hear a howling ring in his ears as a gale started to knock over the desk and chairs, the lamp on Rachel's nightstand crashing to the floor and he even heard her bed creak under the pressure.

In the center of it all, Rad could only stare as the pink book remained perfectly still as all the cards in it began to fly out and went through the roof and walls like it was nothing. A sharp sting in his finger had Rad turning to look at his hand as the card he was holding went flying off as well, taking the fierce wind with it, while leaving the blond with a wrecked room, and a paper cut.

" _What…what was that? Does this happen much here?"_ High Wire sounded shocked, and it had Rad snapping out of his daze as he helped the mini-con stand back up.

"No, I don't know _what_ that was." He answered. "Let me take care of this first, and then," he grimaced as he looked at the glass from the broken lamp and all the overturned furniture, "well, can I count on your to help me clean this up before Rachel gets back? I don't think she's gonna be too happy if she comes home to this mess."

" _Can we pretend we're playing?"_

"You won't let that go, will you?" Rad asked dryly. "Alright, just give me a minute." He said and hurried into the bathroom. He didn't like adding yet another Band-Aid to his already too large collection in one day, but even this one he had to own up to his own impulsiveness getting the better of him. _'Shouldn't have gone into Ray's room in the first place; how am I gonna explain this too her?_ '

Rad hoped he could explain High Wire's presence though, seeing as she apparently had been with him when their encounter with the blue bot had happened, but he wasn't optimistic for his logical-minded cousin to accept that there had been what felt like a hurricane in her bedroom and a bunch of cards had just vanished through the walls. _'Wonder where those cards went anyway.'_

 _"Rad!"_ High Wire called frantically. " _That pink thing is glowing!"_

The blond's eyes widened as he hastily wrapped the Band-Aid around his finger before he rushed back into Rachel's room, stopping short as he saw that what High Wire said was the truth. The book was enveloped in a golden glow like when it had still been in the drawer, and Rad watched in surprise as a form began to rise up from the book.

It resembled a kiddified lion, with big round ears, a long tail that ended with a large white puffball at the tip, short stubby arms and legs, and yellow fur. The only thing not lion-like were the white wings on its back. When it opened its small, dark eyes and blinked, Rad blinked back as he felt High Wire's similar bemusement.

For a moment, there was utter silence.

The creature promptly broke it though when its eyes landed on High Wire. "What's a mecha doing here?! There not supposed to be real!"

High Wire tensed as he made a move to approach the lion, which Rad stopped him from doing. _"Real, I'll show you real!"_ he snapped childishly.

"Not now, please don't start acting up." Rad said exasperated and he wondered if this was how Rachel felt when babysitting him during his younger years.

"You can understand this thing's beeps?" The creature asked.

Rad winced as High Wire let out a shrill set of chirps. "Don't call him a thing, his name's High Wire." He said and managed to get between them. "What are _you_ though? You look like someone's plushy."

The creature's cheeks puffed out as its shoulders shook. "I am not!" he shouted and put its hands on his hips proudly. "I am Kerberos, the Beast of the Seal. I am one of the entrusted guardians who-" he abruptly stopped his tangent when his eyes locked onto the book. A strange gasp rang out, which sounded like a scream mixed with a choke as the creature flitted frantically over the empty book, its tiny hands held fearfully up to his face. "Oh no, this is not good! Not good at all!" he rounded on Rad suddenly, a fire in its miniscule eyes as it scowled at him. "Do you have any idea what you've done?!"

Rad pulled back, face pinched in anger at the accusation. "If you're going to be throwing around blame like that, maybe you should tell me what I've done exactly."

"You called out Windy's name, and then all the cards scattered." The creature said, its tone flat.

Rad blinked. "That's exactly what happened. If you knew what happened, why didn't you come out when they did?"

Now Kerberos seemed tense, one hand rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Um, well…" he mumbled something, but Rad just crossed his arms. "You see, I fell asleep," he said with immense embarrassment, "and I guess they wanted their revenge after all."

"What? Revenge on who?" Rad questioned, but Kerberos shook his head.

"Look, since you opened the book, you gotta help me round 'em back up. It's only fair."

Rad's brow twitched. "You can't be serious." He said. ' _First all that stuff with the earthquake earlier and alien robots, but now I I'm supposed to help with_ this?' he thought incredulously. "Why can't _you_ just go do it? You said you were the 'Beast of the Seal' so shouldn't you be able too?"

"Can't exactly do that in this form." Kerberos said sounding regretful. "Spent too many years using my magic to keep the cards contained. That's why I need you to become a Cardcaptor," he said and put his hands together yet another in a begging motion, _"please?_ You'll be able to learn magic, and have awesome adventures; what more could a boy ask for?"

Rad raised a brow, but even without the sell, he knew what his answer was going to be. Guilt did many a thing to a conscience, and one of which was to try and atone for the wrong done. If this was what Rad had to do to help, then he was going to do it. "I guess it would be cool to have magic powers." He said, his tone hopefully optimistic.

Kerberos' attitude took a one-eighty as he pumped his fist into the air. "This is going to be great, you'll see!" he said and pointed at the book as the wing clasp glowed and a small sphere of light emerged from it. From what Rad could see of the thing inside, it resembled a key with bronze teeth, a pink circle at the end with a star in the center in the middle with two wings at the sides. "Little robot dude," he rolled his eyes when said robot crossed his arms irritably, "fine, High Wire-take a step to the side since I don't know how well your roboticness would interact with magic, and I really don't feel like finding out."

High Wire sighed as he walked over to the window, but seemed to self-consciously realize that he couldn't be seen by passer-byes on the side walk or in their cars, so he awkwardly shuffled next to the overturned desk instead.

Kerberos nodded and cleared his throat, spreading his arms in front of him as he closed his eyes. Around him, Rad flinched as everything seemed to darken except the key in front of him. "Key of the Seal," a glowing circle of a sun and crescent moon appeared underneath the key, "this boy will carry out the sacred promise. His name is…" he paused and his eyes snapped open wide in realization that he _didn't_ know Rad's name.

"Um, it's Rad." The blond said, but Kerberos narrowed his eyes just as quickly in scrutiny, to which Rad added his rather reluctant admission of, "Bradley."

"Bradley." Kerberos continued without missing a beat. "I command you to bestow him with your magical powers." The glow from the key became blindingly bright, which had Rad trying to shield his sight from it. "Bradley, take the staff!" Kerberos ordered, with the blond marching forward to blindly grasp onto this staff. When he felt his hand clasp around something solid, the light abruptly died down and the pre-teen found himself holding a pink pole with the same pink top on it that the key form had. "I, Kerberos, name Bradley- _Cardcaptor!"_

Around them, Rad found the darkness lifting until he was back in Rachel's messy room. "Wow."

 _"Rad!"_ High Wire beeped worriedly as he ran up to the blond and began checking him over. " _I didn't know what to think when you just stop being here! My sensors said that you were, but I couldn't see you, it's just like when I thought you were only a glitch in my programming!"_

Rad patted the frantic bot on the back with one hand. "It's okay, I'm fine, and you're definitely not glitching." He didn't know if that was true or not, but it calmed High Wire down immensely, with his attention turning to the pink staff.

 _"How's that supposed to help you with 'magic' or whatever that yellow organic called it?"_

"That's a good question." Rad murmured and turned his own attention to Kerberos. "How can I catch them with this?"

"Oh, believe me, the answer will come to you, just like with-" The guardian cut himself off suddenly, expression pensive. "You'll do great, just gotta believe you can. I know I do." He said smiling easily at the blond.

Rad stared at him flatly this time. _'Kinda hard not to when you're options are pretty much zero.'_ He thought, but reframed from saying it; he _did_ agree to do this, and he tried to stay on the positive. "So I just go out and…then what?" Being hopeful was harder than he thought. "How am I supposed to find these cards if I don't know where to look?"

"That's where I _can_ help you." Kerberos said and he snapped his fingers, with the book levitating up beside him. "I'll meditate to try and find the cards like this, but you _should_ be able to feel their presence too if you happen to stumble across them."

"I guess that makes sense." Rad said dubiously. "Oh, can I call you something other than Kerberos? It's really a mouthful."

"It's Kero for short, just like I assume with _your_ name?" Kero asked knowingly.

Rad flushed as he nodded, but when his eyes caught sight of the staff, he tilted his head. "How do I get it to shrink? _Does_ it shrink?"

"'Course it can, just concentrate on it being that key from before." Kero explained.

Rad nodded and closed his eyes as he imagined in his mind holding a key, and he heard High Wire's beep of surprise just as he opened his eyes to find the key once more in the palm of his hand.

High Wire, who Rad could only guess had been silent as he took in the explanations from Kero, peered down at the miniature staff. _"Things have gotten interesting."_

"Can't argue with you there." Rad said wryly.

Kero furrowed his brow. "I don't get it, how can you understand him? All I hear is beeps and squeaks."

 _"Why you-!"_

"Easy, High Wire." Rad said as he patted the mini-con on the back in placation before looking at Kero. "He explained earlier that we got some kind of mental bond. It's still pretty surreal, and now with magic cards out doing who-knows-what, I'm not so sure that I'm not going to wake up and find out everything was a dream."

"Oh, this is no dream, trust me on that." Kero said.

"I'm starting to see that." Rad said as he glanced around the still messy area, which only had him wincing as he didn't know how long this little interlude had been going on for. "Oh crud, Ray is probably gonna be back soon. We gotta get this room cleaned up."

"Would you look at that, I should really get started on trying to find those cards." Kero said as he began to float to the door, pink book trailing after him. "I'll leave you to your chores."

Rad rolled his eyes as he saw Kero flee to the blond's room and shut the door behind him. He looked back at High Wire as he put the key into his pocket for now. "Well, no sense in just standing around. Room's not gonna get clean on its own."

* * *

Leaning her forehead on the steering wheel of her car, Rachel let out a long sigh as she killed the engine. _'That was something.'_ She thought as she took a moment to reflect what had happened. Her ears were still ringing from her mother's relieved cry and her bones ached from the force of her parents' hug at her being alright; they (and Rad's parents when she called them using her parents' phone) were irritated that she'd left Rad alone, but at least understood she wanted him to get some rest.

It was only after she'd left their place that she realized she hadn't spoken to her mother about the pink book. Rachel leaned back against her seat as she glanced down at the paper bag of cupcakes Joy had bought before the earthquake hit- 'to help brighten Rad's mood', she'd said. Given that Rachel and Rad were going to be having another meal of dry cereal, the blonde thought this was at least adding variety to their food choices.

 _'No use in just staying out here, I gotta find out what that plate is.'_ She thought and grabbed the bag as she got out of her car. She hustled into the apartment complex and towards the staircase as the earthquake had knocked the power out for the time being; she hoped it came back on soon, as she wasn't sure how much of a shelf-life her keychain light had, or if she remembered where the candles were stored.

Gasping as she made it to their floor level, Rachel stumbled along the dark hallway with her mini-light and squinted against the plaques for her apartment. Rachel sighed in relief when she found it, the potted plant beside the door where she hid the extra key in plain view, and blinked against the sunlight bathing the room as she walked inside and locked the door behind her. "Rad? You up, my mom bought cupcakes." She raised a brow as Rad stumbled out of her room, and put her hands on her hips as he smiled sheepishly at her. "What were you doing in my room?"

"Oh, I, uh, well…" Rad rubbed the back of his neck. "I sorta found out what the plate was-totally by accident though!"

"Really?" Rachel knew there was something up, if by how obvious he was acting were any indication. "And just what is it?"

Rad poked his index fingers together with a nervous grin. "Promise you won't freak?" he asked, but Rachel stared at him sternly. He sighed. "Okay, fine," he turned slightly and called out, "you can come in, High Wire."

Rachel's eyes widened as she heard the name, and even as she saw a little blue robot walk out of her room, her mind was pulling out the images of a crazy dream she'd had when she was younger. It was so bizarre that she'd thought it _could_ have been nothing else, and even now she just wanted something to make sense; giant robot aliens had shook her world up enough. "Just what is this?"

"His name is High Wire." Rad said, his cheeks puffing out in annoyance. "He told me that we met before, and I thought you'd know him since you were there too apparently."

"It was a dream though." Rachel protested, the gears in her mind struggling to continue working. She sat down on a chair at the table as she set the bag aside, her breathing becoming labored; she felt a lump vibrate in her front jean pocket, but ignored her phone for the mini-freak-out she was currently experiencing. "It was…it was…" she clutched at her head, but flinched when 'High Wire' walked up to her; his beeps and whoops were foreign to her, but the familiarity she had with it was disconcerting. "I don't know what you're saying."

'High Wire' blinked, pulling back as it turned and its beeping became frantic. Rad furrowed his brow, in apparent understanding.

"He says that you could understand him before. He doesn't know why you don't now, but he says he's sorry for putting you through this."

Rachel blinked this time, her breathing slowing down to a normal pace as she stared at the little robot. He was concerned? "This is all just a bit much." She started. "Before, I thought everything made sense, but _aliens_ -" she stopped and the realization struck her hard. "Those bigger robots, they're after him, aren't they?"

"High Wire called them bulks, but while we were cleaning your room up I asked about the emblems they were wearing." Rad explained. "He said that the ones with the purple emblems were called Decepticons, and the ones with the red emblems were called Autobots. The red and blue robot who saved us from the purple and green one is an Autobot called Optimus."

"Decepticons bad, Autobots good." Rachel said absently as she still tried to wrap her mind around the concept. While she was not someone who thought things were clean cut like Rad or 'High Wire' seemed to be willing to believe, she wasn't about to get ungrateful about being saved. "Wait," Rachel said and narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Rad, "why were you cleaning my room?"

Her cousin coughed into his hand, his gaze looking anywhere but at her. "You see, when High Wire woke up, I freaked and ended up chasing him around with the broom. He went into your room and we kinda made a mess-even broke your lamp by accident while he tried to explain what he was."

"The purple one from before, he called you a mini-con, right?" Rachel asked High Wire, who nodded.

"Oh right," Rad said in realization, "High Wire said _that_ one was called Megatron." He shuddered. "I'm really glad Carlos and Alexis weren't there to see him."

"Got that right." Rachel muttered. She had already spent the day trying to keep three kids calm during an earthquake; she might have snapped if she'd had to deal with three after an encounter with the third kind. The blonde cleared her throat as she took a moment to gather her thoughts, and tried to be as rational as possible in evaluating her options; first and foremost, Rad needed to be kept safe or it was her head. "We can't keep High Wire here."

"But-"

Rachel held up a hand. "No, he might be E.T., but you're not Elliot. If what High Wire said is true about the Autobots, then they're likelier to know how to take care of him, right?"

Rad looked at her mutinously. "I found him though." He said petulantly.

Rachel ran a hand through her hair down to her ponytail, but furrowed her brow when High Wire held a finger up to her, and to her surprise it began glowing. _'Maybe my E.T. comparison was more on the mark than I thought.'_ She mused, but couldn't help but be a bit cautious. "What's he doing?"

High Wire beeped and whooped, to which Rad translated. "He wants you to mental-link with him, so he can talk to you directly. He says it'll be easier."

"And talking is _all_ there is? He won't be able to hear my thoughts or anything?" Rachel asked suspiciously, but Rad shook his head cautiously. The blonde was not enthused, but she decided to at least give the little robot the benefit of the doubt for the time being; it would let her ask her own questions she didn't want Rad around to hear. "Okay." She said and put her finger against High Wire's, but aside from the glow dying out, nothing felt any different. "Did it work?"

High Wire tilted his head. _"Can you hear me now?"_

Rachel's eyes widened at the two-tone echoes going through her mind; the beeps almost seemed to form their own translation in her mind. "Whoa! This is amazing."

 _"I am glad you think so, usually the bulks were either torn between awe or they freaked."_ High Wire said.

"It's not hard to see why." Rachel mused, but shook her head as she began to usher Rad to his room. "You, mister, should get some rest."

Rad dug his heels into the floor. "You can't take High Wire tonight, at least let him stay _one_ night, _please?"_ he put his hands together and looked up at her pleadingly.

Rachel tried to remain stern, but she found her heart melting as she was reminded of his younger years. ' _I really should have built up some immunity to this.'_ She scolded herself. "He can stay for _one night_ ," she emphasized, "but tomorrow he goes back to the Autobots; I will not put you in danger, you hear me?"

Rad nodded reluctantly as he peered past her. "Can I have a cupcake?" he asked abruptly and Rachel let out a low groan. "What, you're grounding me for the weekend and want to take away one of the most awesome things that's ever happened to me-sorry about calling you that." He said with a quick amendment to the huffy little bot beside him.

High Wire turned away moodily as he continued on toward Rad's room. _"Just for that, no playing."_

Rachel couldn't help but snicker as she gestured for Rad to get the bag. "You can have one cupcake; don't wanna spoil your appetite for supper."

"Power's out, so that means we get to eat cereal-hooray." Rad said dryly.

Rachel softly rapped her knuckles on his head. "Watch it you, or I'll ground you for _two_ weekends." She said and Rad's eyes widened before he fled toward his room. She shook her head in amusement, but looked sharply at the door when she heard a knock; she made sure High Wire had made it to Rad's room before she went to answer it. Peering through the peep-hole, she was pleasantly surprised to find a young dark-haired man standing on the other side of the door, pushing up his glasses while holding a flashlight with one hand and under his other arm was a pizza box.

"Rachel, you home? I hope you don't mind me dropping by."

The blonde contemplated answering as she cast a glance towards Rad's room, but couldn't just be so rude to her friend. "Hold on a minute." She called and hurried to her cousin's door and walked inside, but stopped short when she found Rad not only holding a yellow plush toy and a half-eaten cupcake, but her pink book was laid out in front of him on his bed spread.

"Uh, I can explain." Rad said wincing.

Rachel took the scene in, but decided not to comment. "We'll talk about why you thought you could take my stuff later, but right now Marty brought pizza over."

Rad's eyes lit up at the word, and he tossed the plushy at High Wire. "Clean it up, please." He said as he put the treat onto the nightstand beside his bed and rushed out of the room.

Rachel could hear Rad opening the door and greeting the graduate assistant as the blonde furrowed her brow at the icing surrounding the plush toy's mouth. "Don't tell me that Rad tried to feed that thing."

 _"Then I won't."_ High Wire stated matter-of-factly.

Rachel shook her head. "Whatever, just be quiet; we can't let anyone else know about you, okay?" she questioned, and the blue bot nodded solemnly. The blonde gave him a quick smile before closing the door behind her and meeting her cousin and their guest in the kitchen as Marty opened the pizza box. "I didn't know that the parlor would still be open."

"I swung by when I saw people going in and out, and I remembered that they don't use electric stoves to make the pizzas." Marty explained, smiling as he went to fetch three plates from the cupboard. "I hope it wasn't too much of an assumption on my part to get this."

"Are you kidding? Free pizza is always awesome!" Rad said as he eagerly accepted the slice of peperoni and cheese, and flushed in embarrassment when Marty raised a brow at his behavior.

Rachel shook her head in amusement as she sat down beside Rad while Marty took the third chair. She dug into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone to check on her messages, pausing as something resonated within her. "Oh, right, almost forgot I need to return your walkie-talkies." She said to Marty, smiling apologetically.

The man looked back at her with concern. "You and Rad were up in the mountains, right? I hope no one got hurt…" he trailed off as he took in Rad's scruffy appearance. "…er, hurt badly?"

Rad rubbed the back of his neck, cheeks reddening further. "I took a tumble when the quake hit, but nothing more than some scrapes here and there." he grinned ruefully. "I'll have plenty of time to recuperate over the weekend, that's for sure."

Rachel nodded solemnly. "Got that right, you took off when I explicitly said to stay with the group."

"Ah." Marty said in understanding. "Helping an elderly professor control a classroom of late teens to older is probably nothing compared to three rambunctious pre-teens."

"For the most part, I happened to luck out." Rachel said and she stared pointedly at Rad. "But this one thought it would be a good idea to run off."

Rad ducked down in his seat, face still beet red. "Can you please stop reminding me? I get it, I won't do it again. Promise."

Rachel didn't let up for a long moment, but sighed as she picked up a pizza slice of her own. "Alright."

She'd have enough to do tomorrow; she didn't need Rad acting out again.

* * *

Rad groaned as he rolled over onto his side, grimacing as he came back to awareness when he felt like there was a light being shined in his room, and the feeling of wind blowing through his hair settled over him. The apartment was eerily quiet as the power had yet to come back on, so the squeak High Wire made had his eyes snapping open.

The blond opened his mouth as he sat up, but the words died almost instantly as he found himself staring at the figure of a woman with extremely long blond hair and giving off a yellow glow. In his sleep addled state, it took Rad a moment to register why she looked so familiar. "Windy."

Kero, having taken sleeping at Rad's side for the night, floated up to meet the woman half-way. "You came back," he said, his tone soft and comforting, "are you still upset? I've made Rad here the new Cardcaptor, and I swear he's not gonna let us down."

Rad thought this was a lot of pressure to be placing on the shoulders of a twelve-year-old, but the desperate look Kero gave him as well the assessing look on Windy's face had him finding the resolve to nod. "That's right; I might not have the whole story, but I promise I'll do my best."

Windy stared at him, her features slowly morphing into a soft, tentatively hopeful smile. Her form lit up and it began to swish and twist until it all compacted into a glowing shell card. When the light faded, Rad saw Windy had reverted to the form he'd found her and the others in; he absently reached out when Windy floated down to him, and he stared at the name he'd vaguely noticed earlier before the craziness had set in.

"Kero, what's 'Sakura'?"

The yellow guardian froze, his eyes glancing off to the side. "That's not for tonight, but I would advise you to write your name-your _real_ name onto the card if you don't want to catch Windy again. Same goes for the others."

"Couldn't I get them to revert to their card forms without having to be aggressive about it?" Rad asked.

"For some maybe, but there _are_ aggressive ones and they won't be easy to talk down." Kero said and sighed heavily. "They were really angry about…well, again, not for tonight."

"Sometime soon I'd better get an explanation for why you're being so secretive." Rad said, his tone peeved. He rolled his eyes when Kero shrugged, but as the blond got off his bed, he noticed High Wire standing stock still in front of his closet. "What's wrong?"

 _"I…I knew that 'magic' was going to be involved,"_ High Wire said dazedly, " _I just never thought they'd have_ forms _of their own."_

Rad walked High Wire over to his bed and helped the little bot sit down. "Get some rest; I know I'm still trying to process things." He walked over to his desk as he heard High Wire beep something nondescript, a confusion in the back of Rad's mind conveying just how surreal the bot found this.

When Rad found a pen and wrote his name onto the card, he set it inside the book that Rachel had yet to talk to him about, and hoped that in the morning things would settle down.

For now though, he'd settle for getting some rest.

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, let's get this out of the way first; yes, I _am_ aware of the fact I had Rachel understanding High Wire in the prologue, and now she had to mind-meld with him here to know what he's saying. We'll get to that explanation soon enough.**

 **Because this is set in America, it makes sense to use the English versions of the spells for it. And as for High Wire seeing Windy at the end? Hopefully you'll buy into me saying that since alien robots aren't from earth they likely wouldn't be affected by the card's cloaking defense-or that Windy just didn't _bother_ with cloaking herself, that could also be true.**

 **I probably should have said this in the last chapter, but in the comic that Kelly actually appeared in, she's Alexis' _niece_ instead of her cousin, though that is one of the few things I took liberties with because making her a cousin works out better. **


	4. Chapter 3: Creating Bonds Part 1

**Chapter 3: Creating Bonds Part 1**

 _(Alternative Title: A Topsy Turvy Kind Of Day)_

* * *

Peering into her cousin's room, Rachel stifled her urge to go 'aww' at seeing Rad curled up under his covers with his yellow plush toy and High Wire lying at the foot of the bed. The mini-con looked up when the door had opened, and Rachel put a finger to her lips and shushed him quietly. She gestured for him to follow her, but when he looked at Rad, the blonde only gestured more insistently.

High Wire sighed as he carefully got off the bed and followed Rachel out into the hall, only looking up at her when she closed the door softly. " _Why can't I say goodbye?"_ he asked quietly.

Rachel bit her lip, and closed her eyes as she steeled herself to meet the mini-con's gaze, her voice kept equally low. "It's because it'll be better this way. Now, come on." She said and led the blue and gray bot to the kitchen hall. "I could probably sneak you out in a trench coat or-" she paused as she heard a small screech of metal beside her and she looked down sharply, but reeled back when she found herself staring at a replica of Rad's bike. "Or I could just wheel you out, I suppose." She muttered and opened the door. "You know, I wish you had told me you could do this yesterday."

" _I had to spent the previous day in hiding, remember? Rad and that human male talked for what seemed like hours."_ High Wire beeped as Rachel wheeled him out of the apartment, and she took a moment to lock the door before continuing on toward the elevator through the brightly lit hall. _"It's nice to see that the power has come back on."_

"Yeah, I really don't like using the stairs." Rachel grumbled. She was glad as they entered the elevator that it was the weekend and the parents in the building with children were likely sleeping in, so their ride down to the lobby went uninterrupted, even if there was a smack to the elevator door after she'd just gotten in. _'Of course though, High Wire turning into Rad's bike just makes it easier to think of a cover story if someone_ does _ask.'_ She thought as the elevator dinged and the doors opened. "So can the bigger robots-er, _Autobots_ , I mean-transform too?"

 _"Yes, and we mini-cons can combine with them to give them power boosts."_ High Wire said quietly. There was a heavy silence as Rachel loaded him into the trunk of her car. _"Why don't you really want me around?"_

Rachel froze as she was about to close the lid. "It's…it's nothing against you, but I have to think of Rad. He's my responsibility, and we have no way of giving you anything to eat or if you _can_ eat at that." She explained. Her brow furrowed as she stared at the bike suspiciously. " _You've_ been oddly compliant though; why aren't you putting up more of a fight?"

 _"It's because of a servility program all mini-cons have. When I linked up with you and Rad, I found that it didn't activate like it had when I linked with one of the Autobots back on Cybertron."_ High Wire replied.

Rachel frowned. "You mean when you or other mini-cons link up with anyone, you _have_ to obey them?"

 _"That's the short version."_ High Wire said. _"It's not so bad if you get a good partner, but while the Decepticons just generally saw us as weapon extensions, I'm sad to admit that even some of the Autobots were like that."_

Rachel now began to piece together just what High Wire hoped to accomplish with this compliancy. "If I got there and explain to them that I brought you back, they'll know that I formed a mental link with you," she paused and furrowed her brow once more, "but would they expect this servility program to even _work_ with a human?"

" _I can't be sure, but if they **think** it does, then I won't have to link with any of the Autobots this time. My old partner wasn't terrible or anything, but I **like** having a choice."_ High Wire explained.

Rachel sighed, her features creasing in worry as she used her other hand to smooth down her ponytail. Even if this was all just one big mistake, she didn't want him to be in a dangerous situation, but those big robots _are_ after him. "You know what, you can sit in the backseat, but don't transform." She warned and moved the bike to the back of the car before rushing over to the trunk and closing it.

The blonde proceeded toward the driver side door, and she adjusted her mirror before starting up the car. "So, you've mentioned power boosts and being weapon extensions-it really sounds like these two factions don't like each other."

 _"They don't."_ High Wire said flatly. " _All they ever wanted to use us for was to fight in their war. My species is old and their conflict is complicated. The short version though is this; a long time ago, war was just breaking out between the Autobots and Decepticons, and when we mini-cons showed up, well, you can guess where I'm going with this."_

"Yeah." Rachel said softly, and stepped on the break as she came up to a stoplight. "How did you end up on earth then? And if Rad and I met you when we were young, why are the big robots just _now_ getting here?"

 _"Even with our servility programming, we still have our minds, and we wanted to stop fighting. So taking what you might call a 'leap of faith', we trusted Optimus and his Autobots to help us get to safety."_ High Wire explained. " _As I volunteered to be the one who went dormant last, I agreed to be installed with a homing signal if trouble arose. Unfortunately, when you pulled me out of the ground, I accidently let the programming activate and not only did it send out the homing beacon, but my programming was sent along to the other mini-con panels on this planet, thus activating their own signals."_

Rachel let the information sink in. While High Wire didn't answer her _other_ question, she felt that she really wouldn't like the answer; her faith in reason and logic had taken a heavy hit and she might just breakdown entirely if she was subjected to another mind-shattering revelation so soon.

When she glanced in her rear-view mirror after turning at the corner, she saw a blue and yellow car that looked like hers, only with deeply tinted windows. "Huh, guess my colors are more common than I thought." She said lightly, but squinted when she saw that it was signalling. Rolling her window down, she waved one hand outside and tried to gesture them off.

The action did nothing as the car only kept following and Rachel sighed as she put both hands back on the steering wheel. "Not my fault if they get pulled over by the cops." She grumbled. ' _Or they get in trouble because they can't see through that tint.'_ Over the sound of the engine, she could hear an even louder one above her and peered up through the front windshield to see a sonic jet go streaking by high above the lane. "Wow, not many of those around here." She said, but flinched as the left-turn car behind her went screeching around her.

Rachel only shook her head as she made a turn on the intersection stoplight. She winced as she found the point of prolonged power outage; a construction team was clearing up part of the road where a fallen try had taken out the power line during yesterday's earthquake. Keeping to the orange traffic cones, Rachel drove down the block in silence before noting not to take this way again or she'd just depress herself further.

Even if she wasn't the cause, Rachel still felt like this whole thing was her fault too.

* * *

Rad opened his eyes, furrowing his brow as he thought he heard a door closing. His eyes widened as all thoughts of going back to sleep left him when he realized that he couldn't feel any extra weight at the foot of his bed.

The blond scrambled to chuck off his cover before racing out of his room and the front door, his legs aching as he rushed towards the elevator just as the doors closed. Rad slammed his fist onto the metal, his lips pressing tightly together as he couldn't believe Rachel would do something like this.

"…Rad?" Kero's voice rang out behind him worriedly. "What's wrong, Rad?"

Rad sighed shakily as he turned around, plucking Kero out of the air as he made his way back to the apartment. "Rachel took High Wire away; she didn't even let me say goodbye to him."

"Oh." As Kero didn't know High Wire at all, Rad didn't expect him to say anything else. The blond knew _he_ barely had any knowledge of High Wire except what the mini-con told him, but he thought he'd at least have gotten a little more time to spend with him.

Rad grunted in reply as he closed the door behind him, absently noting to water the plat beside the door, and allowed Kero to perch himself on his shoulder. He morosely got out a bowl to put his cold cereal in, and glanced at Kero. "You want anything?"

"Got any of those cupcakes left?" Kero questioned excitedly.

Rad raised a brow, but he was too upset to ask. "Yeah, pretty sure." He said and set up his own breakfast before rummaging around in the refrigerator for the cupcakes. Once he retrieved one of the few chocolate ones left, as Marty had taken two before he'd left yesterday and now there were only three left, Rad sat down before handing Kero the treat.

The plushy vacated Rad's shoulder and plopped down on the table before he unceremoniously began to take quick, short bites out of the cupcake icing. Rad held off on eating as he watched the guardian in fascination; this was just as bizarre as yesterday. "Where does it all go?"

Kero licked his lips of the icing as he pulled the cover of the cupcake away. "I don't really need to eat. You see, my powers come from the sun; so just like it, I generate my own energy, but I certainly won't pass up a good dessert."

Rad hummed noncommittally before he began scooping up the cornflakes. He ate mechanically, his mind spent more time on the continued surrealistic situation. If Rad were not seeing Kero right now, and knew that that his downtrodden mood was the result of High Wire's departure, he would have thought yesterday were a dream. In fact, Rad had rushed out of his rom so fast he couldn't be sure Windy returning _hadn't_ been a figment of his imagination. "Just so we're clear, Windy came back, right?"

Kero nodded. "Yeah, I spoke to her while you were sleeping, and she's sorry about the paper cut."

Rad glanced down at the Band-Aid still on his finger; like with the rest of the scratches, it didn't hurt anymore, but he wasn't so naïve to believe Rachel wouldn't still have him disinfecting his scraps and re-Band-Aiding them later. "They can talk?"

"It's complicated." Kero admitted. "Windy is the _reason_ I could talk to them-for the most part. She's the link that lets us communicate with each other." He paused and grimaced. "Well, before they all flew the coup again."

Rad jolted in his seat, his eyes widening. " _Again?_ When did this happen before?"

Kero shrugged. "While ago." He said vaguely, his eyes glancing around evasively at anywhere but Rad's demanding expression. "Look, there's no point in dwelling on the past; we both screwed up, and now we gotta fix it."

"Won't _I_ be the one going out and capturing these cards?" Rad asked dryly; he'd just have to wheedle it out of Kero later about why he was so uneasy to talk about the past. _'It probably has something to do with 'Sakura', whatever that is.'_

Kero rubbed the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly. "Well, if you wanna get technical about it that's true, but we're still a team, right?"

"Guess so." Rad said dubiously, but paused as another thought struck him. "How am I supposed to deal with the cards and not have Ray ask any questions? Wouldn't it be easier to just tell her?"

"Would she believe you?" Kero shot back. "She really doesn't seem like the type who would accept this."

Rad thought back to Rachel's little freak out over High Wire; he knew she hadn't completely flipped out because the stance on aliens was such a polarizing and complicated thing, plus she had always tried to be logical even if it took a while to accept it. ' _I wonder if she_ did _remember our meeting with High Wire and just repressed it.'_ He thought, but knew that magic would be the no go. "I guess so, she doesn't even like magic tricks because she can't explain it."

Kero rolled his eyes. "And alien mechas are so easy to explain."

Rad furrowed his brow. "You keep using that word."

The guardian grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, lived in Japan for a while and I picked it up."

"Oh." Rad frowned as his mind right back to High Wire, and whatever good mood he thought he was having plummeted again. "So," he grasped desperately for something else to focus on, "how am I supposed to find these cards? They could be anywhere."

"Actually, since they're so mad, I'm pretty sure it's just gonna be in the town area." Kero said, his expression scrunching up. "They've got a real bone to pick, being rejected isn't a nice feeling."

"Are you talking about me?"

Kero blinked. "What? Of course not, you're not to blame for their anger; they certainly won't like you, but just like Windy I'm sure they'll give you a chance-hopefully."

"That's not really reassuring." Rad said nervously.

"Well, I really do think you've got the potential to be someone great though." Kero said earnestly.

Rad smiled slightly as he finished up his breakfast. Nerves were still jittery, but he hoped he could at least find it in himself to believe that too.

* * *

Hearing his friend descend into a hacking fit, Fred winced in sympathy. "You sound worse than yesterday."

"I hate my sister for giving me her stupid cold!" Billy growled, but it cut off as he wheezed and coughed.

Fred hadn't had high hopes for this being just a twenty-four hour bug, and hearing the prolonged coughing had his stomach sinking. It wasn't any fun going out if he was by himself, but he couldn't pass up going to the book fair at the library. _'I still can't believe there going through with it after the earthquake yesterday.'_ He thought, though he wasn't about to dig himself deeper as he was just happy that at least _one_ thing was going right. "Hope you feel better by Monday." He hesitated in continuing, knowing that a sick Billy was more caustic when he wasn't hacking up a lung. "Should I see if they got any of those comics you like on sale?"

"Huh?" Billy asked, his tone aggressive, but it simmered down as he just sounded tired when he continued. "Yeah, then I'll have something to hit my sister over the head with."

"That's not very nice; it's not her fault you got sick." Fred pointed out.

Billy just made a sneering sound. "'That's not very nice'." He parroted mockingly. "I know it's not; that's the _point._ Get with the program."

"Yeah, right." Fred replied with disinterest. "I'll see if they have any of the comics then." He said and gave an obligatory good bye before putting the phone back into its holder on the counter. Fred took a juice box out of the fridge before making sure he had enough money to spend and walked into the hall as his mother got ready to leave as well, his father having already left for his shift at the Cosmoscope Research Center.

"You got all that you need?" she asked and Fred nodded. "Sure you don't want a ride? The inn's just a block away."

"No, it's fine-I'll just catch the bus before it leaves." He replied. Fred blushed when his mother leaned down to kiss him on the head and he ducked out away from her. " _Mom!"_

"What, I'm not allowed to show that I love you?" His mother question as she crossed her arms, turning her head away as she huffed. "Kids these days."

Fred sighed and hugged his mother. "No, it's just I'm getting older, and kids already tease me enough-I don't wanna be seen as the momma's boy."

His mother's expression softened as she petted Fred's hair. "I see, honey." She said softly and smiled assuring at him. "Have a good time at the library, but don't hesitate to stop by the inn in case you get hungry." She winked playfully at him. "We're making the guests pot roast for lunch."

Fred felt his mouth water just thinking of it, and he nodded eagerly. "Alright, bye!" he exclaimed and hurried out of the house towards the bus stop. He felt slightly out of breath from the short sprint, but resisted cracking open the juice box so soon. _'My blood sugar is normal right now, and I'd better not risk going any higher.'_ He thought as he took a seat on the bench.

Fred could hear far off construction, and he wondered just what had gotten demolished in the earthquake. He was more than relieved when he called Billy's this to find out when he tried to call them after the quake yesterday that their cordless phone's battery had died rather than the awful scenario he'd imagined in his mind.

When the bus arrived, Fred took a seat near the front after putting in some bus fare and bounced the juice from hand to hand as the vehicle drove along the road. While he'd previously gone on this bus route a million times to the library and to school with Billy, this was one of the few times he'd seen construction repairing something; in this case, it was finishing up clearing away the debris of a tree off the road.

Fred peered out the window to look down at the tree shards scattered from being hacked up to clear the way, and wondered if there was any more debris around town. When he heard a faint screech, he looked up to see a jet go whizzing across the sky on the other side of town. _'Huh, wonder why the military would do a training exercise so close to town.'_

Pulled from his thoughts by a speed bump, Fred looked through the front windshield and wasn't surprised that they were getting close to the library. After a few minutes went by, Fred could see the banner on the building declaring the book fair, and the tables that were set up with piles of books on them. The pre-teen got up from his seat along with a few other passengers when the bus stopped and made their way off.

Fred briskly walked up the path towards the nearest table, but his attention became centered on a flat book with a brown spine and a dark orange cover, where a green and brown eight-pointed star lied in the center of it. He tilted his head as he lifted the book up to examine it, noting a smaller star on the back of it, but the most surprising thing was the inside.

It was filled with characters he couldn't read, but also took note of the fact the book bizarrely stopped only a little ways in. He contemplated putting it down, but then he imagined all the things he could write in the empty pages; besides, deciphering the actual content could be a side project. ' _Though I hope it's nothing bad, Mom will freak if she finds out that's what this is.'_ He thought and gave the comic collection a cursory glance, briefly picking out one that Billy liked and he walked up to the cashier.

The cashier smiled at him as he put the two books into a bag. "Thank you for your patronage."

Fred smiled back as he nodded and looked down towards the bag. Inside he felt intensely giddy about his find; he couldn't _wait_ to start writing.

* * *

Rachel looked from the road to the sidewalk, her brow raising when she saw both Alexis and Carlos on their respective scooter and skateboard, wheeling along the pathway. She furrowed her brow though when she noticed that Carlos was carrying a tackle box and two poles over his shoulder. Speeding up just a little, she peered out her window and waved at them.

Alexis beamed as she eagerly waved back and wheeled the scooter up to her car. "Hello, how are you today?"

"Fine." Rachel replied as Carlos skidded to a stop beside her car as well. "Are both your parents alright with this?"

"Well," Carlos smiled nervously, "my dad wasn't sure at first, but he agreed once I managed to get Alexis to go with me."

"And mine were okay when I told them that Mr. Lopez would be picking us up from the lake." Alexis finished. She tilted her head as she took in the bike in the backseat. "Why is Rad's bike with you but not him?" she flushed and glanced down shyly. "Not that you have to answer or anything."

Rachel smiled softly. "It's just the chain, it gets stuck and I wanna have a bike mechanic look at it." She explained. "The lake's not too far, I could give you a lift the rest of the way if you want."

Alexis' smile widened as she blushed bashfully. "If you're really sure, then we'd appreciate it."

Carlos nodded. "Totally," he grimaced and held up the tackle box, "this thing's heavier than I thought it'd be."

"Hop in then." Rachel said and waited patiently for both of them to scramble into the passenger side and free backseat respectively. She pulled the car away from the curb and hoped High Wire would understand the deviation from their intended route, but given that it only meant delaying the inevitable, she assumed he wouldn't be complaining. "So how many fish are you two hoping to catch?"

Alexis raised a brow. "Hoping? We're going to catch at least two," she said firmly, "and they're going to be the best fried fish ever."

Carlos stared at Alexis incredulously. "Do you treat _everything_ like it has to be taken seriously? We're just going fishing, can't you just chill out for an hour?"

Alexis bristled, her jaw clenching before she huffed and turned up her nose. "If I'm going to be President one day, I _have_ to take things seriously."

Rachel tilted her head, eyes glancing at Alexis from the corner of her eye. "That's certainly a big dream; you know you're gonna have to get some pretty huge accomplishments and think of a good campaign, right?" she asked, and Alexis nodded rapidly, while Carlos groaned.

"Please don't encourage her right now; I don't want the fish to get scared away if that's all she's gonna be talking about."

Alexis' cheeks puffed out. "I'm too mature to stoop to your childish taunting."

Carlos rolled his eyes. "You _are_ a child though." He said, but the brunette only turned up her nose again.

Rachel shook her head as she turned her attention back to the road, hoping that High Wire wasn't too baffled by these strange new creatures he was currently hearing argue. She pulled onto the dirt road that led to the lake that was just twenty feet out of town, and drove her car onto the car. "Okay, kids, here you are."

Alexis blushed and smiled shyly at Rachel. "Thank you for the lift."

"Yeah, thanks." Carlos added with a grin and a thumbs up.

Rachel smiled back at them both, but her attention turned to the window as she heard a loud whizzing through the air, and frowned when she noticed a rapidly incoming dot in the sky. Her eyes widened in horror as it soon became clear just _what_ was approaching. "Get out of the car, quickly!" she said and unbuckled Alexis' seatbelt before reaching over the girl to open her door. "High Wire, get them out of here!"

In a flash, High Wire transformed and Carlos let out a shout as the blue bot ripped the seatbelt off of him and pulled him out before reaching back with his other hand and grabbed Alexis by the back of her shirt and hurriedly dragged them along with him.

Rachel wrenched herself out of her own seatbelt and slid out the door before taking a running dive at the ground and curled up to protect herself just as the missile struck the car. Rachel flinched as she could feel the heat of the explosion so near her that she was terrified that she would find herself on fire.

Checking herself over, the blonde spared a second to wince at the scraps which were her car before forcing herself to rush around the heaps of metal to find High Wire had shielded the two children from the blast. Rachel helped the kids to their feet, and after checking them both over for any injuries, she gave High Wire a grateful hug. "Thank you."

"What is that?" Carlos asked, his voice shaky, but whether from seeing High Wire or the near death experience, the blonde couldn't be sure.

"This is High Wire, and he just saved your lives." Rachel explained, and made her tone remain calm and reassuring. "I'll give you both an explanation once we get out of here, okay?"

Carlos nodded weakly as he grabbed a hold of Rachel's arm, but the blonde had little protest when Alexis threw her arms around her waist and began shaking. Hefting the girl up under the knees, Alexis moved her arms to wrap around Rachel's neck as the blonde pulled Carlos with her toward the forestry and High Wire scurried after them.

Rachel could feel the all too familiar sense of doing this yesterday, and her heart hammered faster in her chest as she could feel panic setting in. There would be no car for them to drive away in this time. "How could they have found-I'm such an idiot!" she scolded herself and glanced at High Wire. "You said the mini-cons were active, could they have been staking out the town once you were activated?"

" _The Decepticons, who it was that definitely fired at you, would be able to pinpoint the location of where my physical form would have been manifested."_ High Wire explained, clear self-loathing in his voice.

"Blame yourself as much as me, just don't stop running until we're far away enough!" Rachel ordered, her voice cracking just slightly under the pressure. She could hear Carlos' labored breathing, and the grip of Alexis' arms was near choking around her neck, and her own legs were starting to burn from the sudden exertion. _'No, can't let them get hurt. I might not be their sitter anymore, but they're my responsibility right now.'_ She thought and realized that to protect them she'd have to do something incredibly risky.

"Carlos, Alexis, I need you both to be brave again." She said and set the girl down once they reached the rocky terrain. She found a crevice in the cliff side and ushered them both into the area and handed Alexis her phone. "Call the police and tell them to come and get you. Tell them that it was muggers or something, but just don't mention robots-I'm gonna go and lead them away."

The brunette gripped Rachel by the arm. "What if you don't come back?"

Rachel tried to smile reassuring, but her own fear had it come out like a grimace. "I will, don't worry about me. Just be quiet and stay safe."

With that, High Wire transformed back into the bike and Rachel hopped on before the bicycle began to wheel back in the direction they had run from. _"Plan?"_

"Just get them to follow us; hopefully we can ditch them long enough for the police to get the kids." Rachel said. She wanted to be optimistic about their chances, but the realist in her said that this wasn't going to end well. ' _I'm sorry, Rad, that you didn't get to say good bye.'_ She thought and steeled herself once she caught sight of a pale blue robot overlooking her blasted car and skidded High Wire to a stop. "You jerk, that was my first car!"

"What? I thought I got that stupid Autobot!" The robot shouted angrily. He narrowed his green eyes down at her. "Hand over the mini-con before I start shooting again." He paused and cackled suddenly as he pointed what looked like a wrist mounted gun at her, the nuzzle heating up as he grinned. "Nah, I'm just screwing with ya."

High Wire beeped nondescriptly as he took off toward the lake when the robot fired lasers from his weapon and Rachel held firmly onto the handlebars. Rachel hunched down as she could hear the shots whizzing by and High Wire's frantic beeps as he tried to avoid them. The blonde screamed when the mini-con abruptly took a left turn at the lake and continued on towards the desert. She could hear the faint cursing of the robot behind her, but was filled with dread when she heard a mechanical screeching like with what High Wire had done earlier.

Rachel gritted her teeth as when she looked over her shoulder; she found a pale blue helicopter in hot pursuit. "Damn it, how fast can these 'Cons go?"

 _"That's the least of the worries right now."_ High Wire said, but his coherency once more left him as he let out a long beep when a large cliff came into sight.

Rachel closed her eyes as she braced herself for the abrupt turn, but when it came, she was not expecting to go _up._ Her eyes opened wide as she found herself staring straight ahead at the clouds in the sky, her hands tightening onto the handlebars and her feet tucked over the peddles to keep herself secured. She risked a glance behind her, but was relieved when she could no longer see the 'Con following after them. "I think we're safe now."

When they made it to the top of the cliff, Rachel and High Wire shrieked as they saw the scowling purple and green bot from yesterday right in front of them. The blue bike swerved to avoid the hand that came at them, and Rachel heard the robot roar in fury when they zoomed past him.

Whatever relief Rachel felt was cut short as she looked over her shoulder and she saw the robot had transformed. Her jaw dropped in disbelief. "He's a damn tank! How can he be keeping up with us!?"

 _"Bigger problems!"_

Rachel looked forward, but turned her attention abruptly to the side when she found the same red and white sonic jet flying low beside her, and on the other side of her the helicopter blocking her exit. Rachel gritted her teeth as she found yet _another_ robot had appeared out of the same purplish portal like yesterday that had taken on the form of something that looked suspiciously like another tank but she couldn't be sure.

The blonde had no time to ponder this though as she had a split second decision to make. "Trust me High Wire, I've got an idea." She heard a faint beep. "Take control on my signal."

"Nothing you do will save you, flesh bag." The purple bot, Megatron, growled from behind.

 _'This 'flesh bag' still has at least one trick up her sleeve.'_ She thought and took over the manual peddling when they unlocked, and throwing her weight to the side, she planted one leg on the ground and vaulted both her and High Wire under the helicopter "Now!" she shouted and felt High Wire take control again.

Rachel felt her ankle twist painfully and she clenched her jaw to keep the scream back; her foot went slack and she tried to keep her eyes on the desert to take her mind off the pain. _'Come on; don't let it get to you. You-'_ she screamed as a blast caused the ground beside High Wire to erupt and the dirt gave way, sending them both flying briefly into the air.

The blonde tumbled to into the earth as she rolled to a stop. Her shoulder hurt from landing on it in the initial drop, and in her disoriented state she could barely make out the sound of High Wire beeping weakly, her vision struggling to focus on his form lying just a few feet from her. Rachel bit her lip as she could hear the footsteps on the ground, and forced herself to crawl over to High Wire to curl her body over his.

Rachel felt her eyes begin to sting, her façade cracking as she realized that she done for; she couldn't get up and run, and that if the mini-con tried he wouldn't get far and High Wire would be taken away because of her risky plan. "I'm sorry." She whispered, her voice straining as she struggled to preserve what was left of her dignity. "I'm so sorry that I couldn't protect you."

High Wire wrapped his arms around Rachel and leaned into her. _"You **tried** to protect me, but you **did** protect your other charges. At least **they're** okay."_

Rachel felt the tears slip out as she closed her eyes, burrowing her face into the crook of High Wire's neck and began to sob.

Megatron snorted above her, disgust clear in his tone. "What a pathetic little insect you turned out to be; squashing you is going to be so satisfying."

"Oh, Megatron sir, can _I_ shoot it?" The gleeful voice of the blue 'copter asked.

"No, you fool," Megatron retorted, "you'll destroy the mini-con as well."

"…there's an easy way to get around that."

Rachel gasped as she felt her body get flicked away from High Wire's; her eyes opened blearily as she heard the remnants of a gruff voice ring in her ears. She saw that red and beige tank robot standing upright, and Megatron smirked down at her as one of his shoulder cannons was aimed in her direction.

When the cannon began to charge, and High Wire weakly tried to reach out to her, Rachel closed her eyes.

The sound of a horn rang out, and Rachel's eyes snapped open as a semi-truck rammed into Megatron, and plowed over him as several other blaster shots struck the other three robots. Rachel stared incredulously up at the semi as it stopped beside her and the door popped open to reveal Alexis and Carlos. "What are you two doing here?"

"We'll explain later!" Alexis said as she and Carlos got out of the semi. The brunette helped Rachel to her feet as Carlos hauled up the little blue bot. "Hurry!"

Rachel limped up to the truck cabin and pulled herself into the seat before reaching down and helping the kids up. Once she got the mini-con in, the door closed on its own. "Thanks for the save, Optimus. This is the second time you've done it."

"You know my name?"

"High Wire explained it." Rachel replied hastily.

The semi was silent as he took off across the desert, and soon a blue ambulance appeared on one side, while a yellow and blue car which looked remarkably like hers used too appeared on the other. "Red Alert, bridge us back to base, we've secured the humans and the mini-con."

"Yes, sir." The ambulance said.

Rachel furrowed her brow, but felt a wave of disorientation wash over her as the outside setting changed from sunny skies and desert surroundings, to finding herself and the children passing through what looked like the Stargate into a clean, metal facility. "What…what was that?"

"Questions can come later, first you will be allowed time to situate yourselves." Optimus' stern voice softened a little. "This is shocking, I know, but you're safe now."

Rachel glanced at the two children, and nodded at their wary expressions. While they had went with Optimus, it seemed they weren't entirely sure what to think. "He's right, we can trust them; they're the good guys."

"Not like the one who blew up your car?" Carlos asked tentatively.

The blonde shook her head. "No, not like that one." She opened the door and cautiously got down to the floor, shifting her weight onto her good ankle. Holding out her hand, even as she was sure she looked like a mess with her face caked in dirt and tears, she managed to smile assuring at them. "Just trust me, please?"

Carlos and Alexis glanced at each other for a long moment, and with just as much caution, the brunette slid to the edge of the seat, and reached down to grasp Rachel's hand.

* * *

Rad felt very bored, as watching Kero hover above the pink book with a golden glow only kept his attention for so long, and he didn't feel like disturbing the guardian from his card seeking. The blond walked out of his room, and when he reached the kitchen, he winced when he looked at his bike and almost thought it was High Wire.

It might have been ridiculous to an adult by how attached he'd become of the blue mini-con, but Rad had hoped he wouldn't have had to go at it alone; there was Kero, yeah, but he doubted the guardian could do much physical fighting in his current form. _'High Wire and I could have had awesome adventures together.'_ He lamented as he skulked towards the couch in the adjacent living room.

Rad sighed dramatically as he plopped himself down on the couch and absently picked up the key that he'd threaded through a string that he put around his neck. He was still left mystified that this could become a larger wand, but clearly this size thing was practical as he wasn't about to carry a giant stick everywhere with him. _'Now that would be too obvious.'_ He thought wryly.

The blond reached towards the coffee table in front of him and turned on the television, and briefly wondered where Rachel could be since it felt like hours since she'd been gone. He petulantly pushed the thought aside though as he felt the sting of betrayal once more and flipped through the channels absently.

"Rad! Rad!"

The blond jumped as Kero zoomed into the room with The Windy card in his stubby hands. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"I just sensed a Sakura Card spike!" Kero said and shoved the card in his hands at Rad. "You gotta hurry and find it before they do any damage!"

Rad felt a bit overwhelmed as he numbly grabbed the offered card; sure, he _knew_ that he'd have to do this, but he never thought it would be so soon. "Well, uh, where do I start?"

As if answering, an animalistic roar resounded through the air, and Rad winced as the windows shook from the force. The blond warily walked over to the window, and as he peered around, his eyes widened once he saw what the source was.

"A…a freaking _dragon?"_ he shouted incredulously. "One of these cards is a dragon?"

Kero furrowed his brow worriedly. "No, that's not a card, just the creation." He said grimly. He and Rad locked gazes; the boy's eyes growing concerned as the guardian's grew graver. "This is the work of The Create, and you gotta do something before more things begin to appear."

Rad reluctantly looked up at the sky, his gaze following the large, dark-scaled winged creature circling above the town, and knew he had his work cut out for him. ' _Just_ what _am I supposed to do to stop this?'_

* * *

 **A/N: Given what the mini-con's were made for, and the fact they actually _do_ have a servility program, it would make make sense for the mini-cons to just be seen as very high-functional weapons. Not to bash Autobots or anything, but their is evidence that some do see the mini-cons this way. Blurr certainly had in canon.**


	5. Chapter 4: Creating Bonds Part 2

**Chapter 4: Creating Bonds Part 2**

* * *

Rachel stewed in her own thoughts as she felt like one giant bruise after her aching began settling in fully. The blonde had been herded off to the 'medical bay' as the blue and gray Autobot called it before introducing himself properly as Red Alert. She would've grinned at the irony of someone called that being an ambulance, but it hurt too much. Red Alert did though allow High Wire and the other two children to accompany them and provide her with support as Rachel limped after him; they'd need a medical scan as well.

Rachel also felt this was the time her recuperation was done with after Red Alert had done his scans on them all. She assessed the two children on both sides of her, who still looked unsure and seemed to rethink their idea of going with the giant robots as maybe not being such a good one. She might be hurting and need to go a doctor for her injuries, but this needed immediate attention first.

"Just _whose_ idea was it to ignore my warning and go with strangers?" she avoided looking at either of the children, as she wasn't about to frighten them further by pointedly glaring at them both.

On her left side, Alexis shifted as she pulled out Rachel's phone from her pocket. "Um, I did." She said and flushed when the blonde finally let her gaze slide down to the brunette. "I was scared!" she cried out and grabbed Rachel's arm with one hand, her expression cracking. "I didn't want you to get hurt, and when that red and blue robot-"

"Optimus." Red Alert interjected quietly, his visor never leaving the screen on his arm.

Alexis nodded. "Yeah, him; I took a chance and decided to trust him when he said he was going to help you. I _know_ it was stupid, but I really wanted to believe him." her eyes watered and she shifted her arm to encompass Rachel across her shoulder. The blonde winced at the pressure, but patted Alexis on the back as the girl sniffled. "I didn't want to lose you-and-and Rad would be devastated if something happened to you too!"

Rachel breathed in deeply, her eyes closed as she contemplated the words. It nagged at her there was something deeper going on with Alexis' outburst, but she wasn't quite willing to give it a name. "I'm," she took another breath and smiled down at her, but then pointedly gave the same reassuring smile to High Wire and Carlos, "not going anywhere, I still gotta get you kids home."

Carlos cracked a shaky smile. "Still can't believe that it was _Alexis_ who broke your rule."

Alexis let out a low growl, but she blushed when Rachel looked back at her. "I'm _really,_ really sorry. I was only thinking of you-and, uh, Rad too." She said awkwardly.

Rachel felt realization hit her like a ton of bricks. "Oh no, how long have we been here?" she asked the blue Autobot.

"Approximately one of your earth hours." Red Alert replied curtly. "The scans of the human children have come back clean, from the information I have downloaded of your internet data, and the mini-con's self-repair has fixed its damages. You though, are suffering from a sprained ankle bone, and there is a high percentage that several of your body parts will discolor from what you call 'bruising.'"

"Yeah, I'm so not gonna have a fun time explaining how I got like this." Rachel said, but winced as she once more found herself thinking of her cousin. "Look, can you tell us where we are?" she asked even as she slid her thumb over the number to the landline at the apartment. She found herself grimacing when there was a 'no signal' icon blinking in the corner of her phone where the signals bars should have been. "I _really_ need to know where we are; there's no signal getting through."

"While I can't account for your technological trouble, as our comms are continuing to function as they should, we are currently in a part of a mini-con ship which crashed on your planet-just outside of 'Lincoln' and in the mountain range vicinity." Red Alert explained, his voice never changing or inflecting one iota.

Rachel found herself envious at the way this robot could keep his voice even and calm while she was starting to get a headache and felt her grasp on reality beginning to slip. "I don't believe it; we're actually in the cave where we found the mini-con panel." She noticed the looks the children gave her and nodded at High Wire. "You might remember him as that green plate Rad had-turns out it was just holding him in a storage of sorts."

High Wire shifted under the scrutiny of the gazes the kids gave him. _"Okay, I'm starting to get uncomfortable. Please make them stop."_

"Lay off him, he _did_ save your lives from that crazy helicopter." Rachel said, and given that the Decepticon _had_ been willing to shoot at them despite what Megatron had said, 'crazy' seemed like an apt description to use.

Carlos looked up at her in astonishment. "Whoa, you understood it? All I heard was just a bunch of beeps."

Rachel smiled wryly. "That's _exactly_ what I hear too, but apparently I formed some kind of mind-link with him and I can hear words in my head."

"Fascinating, I never knew that a mini-con could be able to link-up with an organic being." Red Alert said, sounding faintly curious. "Has it shown any deference to you as well?"

Rachel felt a slight churning in her stomach as she remembered what High Wire had told her. ' _Even the good robots saw them as weapons.'_ She thought and felt a bit uncomfortable with how it was only her actually calling the mini-con something other than 'it.' ' _Granted, I_ had _done the same thing, but the kids don't know better.'_ She added and glanced over at High Wire, who stared back at her blankly. "Yes," she answered, being sure to keep her voice tightly controlled, "he does what I tell him too." She looked up at the Autobot and bit the inside of her cheek for a moment before continuing with: "And what I'd like to do is leave him here with you Autobots; I really don't know how to care for him."

"I must confer with Optimus, as since this mini-con is linked with you it would cause complications with communication were it to stay." Red Alert said as he raised his hand to his head.

High Wire straightened up, and without another word he jumped off the perch they were sitting on before fleeing from the room. Rachel groaned; he'd been so good about coming here too.

"What's was that about?" Carlos asked in confusion.

"To be honest, I think he just got cold feet." Rachel said dryly.

The blue Autobot glanced down at them as his hand fell from his head. "Optimus is on his way in; he will answer any questions you have now that you've been cleared." He paused as he seemed to be peering down at Rachel specifically-the visor over his eyes made it hard to tell. "Though it is advisable you go to one of your earth physicians soon."

Rachel nodded wearily as she glanced down at her slack ankle. "Right, yeah, I will." She said, but all too soon it came over her that her car was currently a smoking pile of scrapped parts beside a lake. She groaned as she ran her hands over her face. "Just how are we supposed to get back to town though? It'd take at least an hour to hike back, and I can't make the kids drag me along."

"We don't expect you to." Red Alert explained. "Optimus has ordered _Hot Shot,"_ for the first time, there was a strained inflection in his tone at the name, "to drive you back to your town as his alternate mode would likely not be too conspicuous."

Alexis sighed shakily. "That's right, you and the, er, those _other_ robots can all change into vehicles."

"Talk about paranoia fuel." Carlos muttered.

Rachel rubbed her temples as she put her thoughts into order now that the kids were beginning to act like themselves again, but couldn't disagree with Carlos' assessment now that she had an inkling of what had been up with that low flying jet. "Wait a second." She said in realization and looked up at the blue Autobot. Her eyes narrowed in contemplation. "I clearly remember that _your_ vehicle mode is an ambulance-something which on earth is used to transport injured people. How come _you_ can't simply take us to the hospital instead?"

"Quite frankly, Hot Shot is better suited to excursions away from any kind of equipment, and I have much to still repair that doesn't need his brand of _assistance."_ Red Alert explained curtly.

Rachel raised a brow at the insult. Or at least, she _thought_ it sounded a lot like one. _'Did he just call his teammate an idiot or am I reading too much into this?'_ she had no time to dwell on any problems these robots had with each other right now as she rubbed her brow; something else nagged at her. "You know, there's one other thing I can't understand. When I was being chased, there was this sonic fighter with the Decepticons, and I saw it earlier as it flew over the town. If the Decepticons knew that High Wire was in Lincoln, why would they bother with the secrecy? Why would any of you?"

The blue and gray Autobot only stared back at her, and when he spoke, his voice was tinged with confusion. "Low flying…Tell me, what color was this jet? Did you happen to see what the bi-pedal form looked like?"

Rachel blinked; despite the blue robot's voice only rising a little and shifting just a bit, she could hear another strain in his tone that spoke of trying to hide a stronger reaction-she should know; she'd been doing the same thing since yesterday. Thinking back on the last traumatizing little while was not something Rachel wanted to do, and she found all she could remember of the Decepticons was of a cannon lighting up to obliterate her. "No." she said, her fists shaking as she glared at the floor. "I don't remember anything."

Red Alert said nothing, but when Rachel finally looked back up, she found he seemed to be almost disappointed by her answer. The expression only lasted a moment though as the Autobot looked toward the doors and they opened to reveal Optimus, and by process of elimination since there had been only three cars out in the desert, the blue and yellow robot following must have been 'Hot Shot.'

 _'Wow, no wonder that 'copter blew my car up, he really does look like how it did.'_ Rachel thought.

As Optimus gazed down at the humans, both Carlos and Alexis looked back with fearful awe while Rachel was just grateful they were still alive. "Greetings, I am Optimus Prime, I trust you are all well?"

"The kids are fine." Rachel said, taking a moment to notice that neither still looked all that eager to speak. "My name's Rachel Becker, and thank you for saving us."

Optimus nodded before he gestured to the blue and yellow robot beside him. "This is Hot Shot; he will be taking you all back to your domiciles."

The blue and yellow bot waved to the three humans, grinning cheerfully. "Hi there; you know my name, and I know hers," he nodded once down at Rachel before his eyes glanced at the two children, "but what are yours?"

Alexis stiffened for a moment, and Carlos grimaced as they both snapped out of their stupor.

"I'm Alexis."

"Carlos."

Hot Shot tilted his head as he peered down at them. "You sure are a quiet lot."

"A trait you would do well to take heed of." Red Alert said quietly.

Hot Shot glared at the blue robot. "And _you_ gotta learn to lighten up."

"Red Alert, Hot Shot." Optimus said sternly, and both robots quieted down. His gaze was once more redirected towards the humans. "Red Alert tells me you wish for High Wire to stay here?" he asked and Rachel nodded. "Very well; would you like to wish him farewell before you leave?"

The blonde thought of saying no, but she needed to press into him just how important this was. "Yes, it's the least I can do." She said and carefully got to her feet, favoring her good leg as both kids helped her stand. "Wait," she said, her eyes widening in realization and she looked up at Red Alert once more, "you never answered my question."

The Autobot stared back at her, his expression obscure due to the visor, but his voice never changed. "While I can't say for certain, the Decepticons are likely adhering to the same policy we are. Aside from your encounter with Optimus and Megatron yesterday, we are trying to avoid contact. It's a sounder thing to do than to rouse suspicion or unwanted attention." He explained, and reluctantly looked over at Hot Shot. "You will need to be careful though, they could still be in the area."

Hot Shot grinned cockily. "No need, I can handle anything those rotten 'Cons throw at me."

"Red Alert is right." Optimus admonished the yellow bot. "You will report in if necessary and we will find another way to send the humans home."

Hot Shot deflated, his shoulders slumping as muttered "Yes, sir" morosely under his breath. When he looked at the kids and Rachel, he perked back up almost instantly. "Let's get going then!"

Rachel nodded wearily as she was led out of the room, both kids holding onto her arms tightly. She wanted to tell them to loosen their grip, but wouldn't risk worsening the shock they were experiencing. Having already built up a 'push it back until later' mentality over the years to deal with the stress of high school and the first year of college, Rachel knew _her_ collapse would come when she was back home. _'Hope I remember to tell Rad to just eat mac and cheese for supper.'_

Carlos and Alexis kept a steady grip on Rachel as they followed after Hot Shot down the hall. The blonde noted just how dusty the area was, but that there was also something painfully familiar about it. She blinked as she saw High Wire step out of a room with a sliding door, and he waved for Rachel to follow him.

"Wait, before we go I have to say goodbye to High Wire." Rachel said.

Hot Shot paused, blinking as he tilted his head. "Well, alright then, but don't be too long."

Rachel nodded as the kids helped her into the room that High Wire was in. The blonde froze, the children stopping just as abruptly as she did; they looked up at her in confusion, but Rachel didn't pay attention as she was too busy staring at the interior of the space they were in.

The area was large and spacious as the other areas of the ship she'd seen, but if the lighting was low and cleaner, it was like something from her dream. The image had stuck with her for so long, that even while the context she could remember this room from was eroded, Rachel would have been struck by the familiarity alone. _'Rad wasn't kidding; I really did meet High Wire before.'_ She thought as she stared at the blue robot. "Why'd you want me to come in here?"

" _I thought seeing this room would help, has it?"_ High Wire asked curiously.

Even if Rachel was giving a bit more credence to all of this bizarreness, she was still reluctant to admit it. "Kinda, I guess." She muttered, and her voice rose as she got back on track. "Look, I just wanted to tell you to be good for the Autobots, okay? Don't let them try and boss you around-you're still you, you know." She felt a bit awkward for talking so familiarly with High Wire, but she was so used to pep talks with Rad during their younger years that it just came out.

 _"Thank you for your vote of confidence,"_ High Wire said earnestly. He walked over a section of the wall, and when he placed his hand on a keypad, the wall rose to reveal a small alcove, " _and I have something to show the children as well."_

"Really, what?" Rachel asked, but froze when High Wire turned around to reveal he had two tiles clutched to his chest. "You're not gonna-" The blonde stopped herself as she settled for glaring disapprovingly at the mini-con.

High Wire shook his head. " _You have nothing to worry about, I just wanted them to see."_ He said as the children peered curiously at the two tiles.

"Hey, aren't those like the one Rad showed us before?" Carlos questioned.

Alexis frowned suspiciously. "I think they are," her eyes flickered from the panels to High Wire, "and didn't Rachel just say that it _held_ High Wire?"

"You mean there might be more little robots in those panels too?" Carlos asked, but he sounded less frightened now than earlier. "That's actually kinda cool."

"And there's the cue to get going." Rachel said pointedly. "Not only do I need to go to a doctor, but we gotta come up with something to tell your parents'."

Carlos nodded sullenly, but Alexis smiled slightly at the mini-con, her expression carefully reserved. "Thank you again for saving us." She said quietly.

High Wire beeped happily. _"It was no problem; I really don't like the Decepticons either."_

Alexis furrowed her brow, and looked up at Rachel.

"He said it was no problem." The blonde translated. Alexis nodded, and both she and Carlos once more helped Rachel limp out of the room.

The woman glanced back at High Wire one last time before the door slid shut, but she couldn't help thinking he was up to something.

* * *

Pressed against the glass, Rad continued to stare up at the sky with open-mouthed shock. He knew that he was looking at a _dragon_ , with its large flapping wings and scaly body, but it still had yet to fully sink in. And when it did, he felt that something was just off about it-a magic card, it was supposed to be, he knew-but it only clicked when he glanced down at the street.

"Kero, why isn't anyone else freaking out about this?" Rad questioned, taking in the sight of the cars below driving without nary a person stopping to look up at the big flipping dragon in the sky.

Kero rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, the thing about the cards is that they can cloak their presence if they want too. Normal people can't see them, but those like you can." He frowned and tapped his chin. "Create's not really an aggressive card, but it's still pretty mad-which is why you need to get out there, pronto!"

Rad jumped as Kero drew in close, the sound grating as the high-pitched voice nearly blew out his eardrum. "I got enough aches, I don't want anymore." He grumbled and rubbed his ear with one hand while putting Windy into his pocket with the other. "Back up for a second though, how am I supposed to make sure the dragon doesn't cause damage while I look for the card?"

"You don't have to do both." Kero assured him, but Rad felt lost. The guardian quickly began speaking once more to alleviate the confusion. "This dragon is an extension of Create, defeat the dragon and when you seal _that_ , Create will appear in its place."

"You know, you're asking a lot from a twelve-year-old." Rad pointed out.

Kero puffed out his cheeks. "This is nothing compared to what a _ten-year-old_ could do."

Rad felt his defenses rise as his cheeks reddened. Was Kero really mocking him for being nervous? ' _This is unbelievable.'_ He thought feeling incredibly offended. "If you haven't noticed, I'm just a kid! How do you expect me to come up with something on the spot when I only found out about magic yesterday?"

Kero pointed out the window, and Rad saw the dragon dive in low, it's massive wings beating to fly back up, but the current it created had the cars swerving and the telephone lines swinging dangerously. "This is why, even benign cards can cause collateral damage, but the aggressive ones _definitely_ will be out to create havoc." The guardian floated closer to Rad, resting it's stubby hands on the blond's cheeks to be at eye-level. "Listen to me; I believe you can do this. It might not be easy, but I promise I'll be there with you. High Wire isn't here, but I still am."

Rad stared back, his anger simmering away until all that was left was the nerves-and just a bit of hope. "You mean that?" he asked, and Kero nodded with a reassuring smile. Rad pulled back to look once more at the dragon, biting his lip as he knew that once he got outside, it would likely be even bigger than it appeared. He gathered up his resolve and nodded at Kero. "Alright, let's get going."

Kero pumped his fist into the air. "That's the spirit!" he cheered. "Let's do this!"

Rad still felt a bit uneasy, but he had no choice other than to trust Kero; if the guardian had enough faith in him to not to flake, Rad hoped he could believe it too. He hurried toward the closet, pulling his bike away from it and wheeled it to the front door. He was going to get in so much trouble if Rachel got back before he did, but he already was, so why not add another day to his grounding?

"Alright, this is going to be uncomfortable for both of us, but just play along." Rad said as he buttoned up his over shirt and let Kero nestle inside of it while Rad wheeled the bike out of the apartment and used the emergency key that was stuffed into the potted plant by the door to lock it.

"Why do you keep it in there?" Kero questioned perplexed.

"People aren't going to think of looking _inside_ the pot for a key, and Rachel is super paranoid about me being able to get inside." Rad explained.

"And you don't have one of your own because…?"

"It costs money to get a key made, and I keep losing mine."

Kero didn't say anything more. When Rad got to the elevator, he pushed the button to take him to the lobby, and tapped his foot agitatedly. He was really going outside to fight a dragon, but Rachel getting back first was still scarier.

"How many of these cards are there?" Rad asked.

"Fifty-three."

Rad's hand twitched on the bike's handle bars. "You said that not all of them were gonna be mad, which ones would I have to watch out for?"

As if picking up on his nerves, Kero patted Rad on the shoulder. "How about I just tell you as we go along? It's better not to work yourself up on all of them, just focus on Create for now."

Rad nodded warily. "Sure. From what you've been saying, Create, uh, makes things?"

"Yeah," Kero nodded, "but it also gives the person who writes in its book ideas; so really this dragon could be either the author's or Create's, well, _creation._ "

"That's pretty freaky when you think about it; just write something in a book and it'll come to life." Rad said.

"True, but what really bothers me is why Create's doing this in the daytime; usually it's powers are only active at night." Kero said worriedly.

"What about this situation is normal?" Rad asked sardonically. His brow furrowed in concern. "Seriously though, they have times when they activate?"

Kero nodded. "They go by the sun and the moon; those in each domain are active at that time of the day or night. Create might be a sun-oriented card, but it should have become active later on. It just makes me worried about whether the others are going to go against their own natures."

Rad frowned as he thought over the explanation. "Magic's kinda confusing."

Kero reached up once more to pat Rad's shoulder. "You'll get used to it."

Rad didn't have time for a response as the door opened and he quickly wheeled the bike out of the elevator and toward the door. He tightened his hands on the bars when he got outside, his eyes trained on the sky. "Okay, so to keep everyone safe, I need to get this dragon out of town-but how?"

"Rad, look at the dragon again, and _think."_ Kero stressed. "What does that dragon have, and what could get it to go where you wanted it too?"

The blond furrowed his brow. "The dragon has wings-" his eyes widened. "It has _wings_ , and I have Windy." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the card. "Are you telling me that Windy could do something against that?"

"She is wind." Kero said simply. "She's stronger than Create, so you just gotta use her right."

Rad looked down at Windy, and nodded to himself. He pulled the key from his neck and held it out in front of him. He opened his mouth to speak, but the cars on the road had him reconsidering doing this where anyone could see. _'Can't believe what I was just about to do.'_ He thought and parked his bike against the building before ducking back inside the apartment complex.

Holding out the key once more, Rad felt the words spill from his lips. "Key of the star, with powers burning bright; reveal the staff and shine your light- _release!"_

Throughout his incantation, a golden circle appeared underneath him and the key floated just above his hand. A wind picked up as he finished, and the key glowed until it was once again in its staff form and Rad grabbed it. Without missing a beat, Rad tossed the card above his head, watching as it stayed in place before holding the Star Wand underneath it, the white wings on the side of the circle glowing pale blue as they enlarged.

"Lead that dragon out of the town, Windy!" Rad commanded and just as the card glowed as well, he dove forward to push the double doors open, allowing Windy to pass by and dart after the dragon.

"Hurry, Rad-after them before they get too far!" Kero shouted, and Rad reacted once more by awkwardly holding the staff across the handle bars as they followed after the dragon, a yellowish-green wind upheaving the beast until the current it was on had it sailing towards the lake by the forest.

Though Rad thought there was a big elephant in the room with how he could come up with those spells on the fly like that, right now it didn't matter; he could think about that _after_ he caught Create. _'I should have asked Kero if there was any fine print he forgot to tell me about.'_

The dragon tried to twist around, but Windy was keeping it from flying back into the city. The sight of three birds appearing in the sky almost had Rad steering off the road. The newest creations dove down toward him and he batted the birds back with the wand as he awkwardly followed the dragon out into the forest.

Kero put a stop to that right off the bat. "Don't try and keep up-pull over!"

Rad gritted his teeth as he swatted a bird back and drove onto the grass. He jumped off the bike, narrowing avoiding being pecked by one of the constructs. Rad reeled back the Star Wand like a bat, and swung at a bird which dove straight for him. The creation disappeared in a puff of smoke. "Why do I have only one card that I can't even use now?" he gripped, swatting at another bird that got too close, but it ducked back before it could be hit. "This sucks!"

"Call Windy back, I think she took the dragon far enough away." Kero said, clutching tightly to Rad's shirt when he jumped to the side to avoid a bird which just popped into existence a foot away, it's sharp beak grazing along his sleeve.

Rad narrowed his eyes, but felt them widen just as quickly when he saw the flock which had come out of nowhere. He hadn't noticed it before, but for some odd reason all these birds had the strangest eyes-or lack thereof. Where their eyes should be were two spiral designs like from a cartoon where the character gets dizzy. "What the heck?"

"Call Windy!" Kero repeated forcefully. "She's here to help, so let her help!"

Rad was still reluctant to call the spirit away from her current task. "She needs to keep the dragon away from the town though."

"How's Create supposed to be sealed if you're a dead?!" Kero questioned hotly. "You'll be so badly mangled by those beaks no one will recognize you."

Rad gritted his teeth again, as he knew that Kero was right. There was no way he could take down all these birds by himself; he had neither the stamina nor the time-what if someone came by and they tried to attack them too? "Windy!" Rad called, and the air current leading the dragon away abruptly.

It flowed before Rad, creating a barrier between him and the birds as the streams of yellow and green twisted around the flock in a wide arc before the wind picked up speed until the surrounding area began to twist and ebb in response to the sudden cyclone.

Rad narrowed his eyes, staring up into the swirling into a vortex as the birds were thrown asunder, beating their wings and squawking shrilly before they all vanished in one giant puff of smoke. Rad let out a brief sigh of relief once he could breathe properly again. He could feel some of his aches start back up, but luckily he wouldn't have to apply anymore Band-Aids to himself.

After checking Kero over, he looked up at the spirit who was watching him attentively. Rad smile shakily. "Thanks."

Windy smile back before reverting to her card form and floated into his hand. Rad glanced at her, and quickly got back onto his bike, wand once more held between the handle bars while he saw the dragon circling the forest, its spiral-swirl eyes looking area the area.

Rad grimaced at the thought of he was supposed to actually beat this construct. He biked into the forest to try and duck for cover once it wasn't looking, but he sooner or later that he'd get spotted. He bit his lip, his eyes roaming over the area for any kind of help, but all there was is the lake, the trees, and a clearing where bizarrely there was a bunch of smoking piles of scrap metal.

He felt all too keenly the sweat forming on his brow, the race of his heart, and the ominous flap of leathery wings above them. He got off his bike and hid it behind a tree in case he needed to make a quick escape. "Any suggestions? _Besides_ hope for the best?"

Kero opened his mouth, but another voice beat him to it.

"What _is_ that thing?"

Rad reeled back when he saw a yellow and blue car drive into the clearing. For a moment he wondered if Rachel had found out he was gone, but then it registered that the voice which spoke was _male_. He dashed further into the brush and hid behind another tree as the car doors opened and his eyes widened when he saw both Carlos and Alexis get out. His stomach sank though when he saw _Rachel_ getting out, but he worriedly wondered why she was so scruffy and beat up.

Kero reached up and put his hands over Rad's mouth when he made a concerned noise. "Don't!" he hissed quietly. "We need to know what's going on first. I don't think they could hear us all the way back here, but we need to be quiet."

Rad reluctantly watched his friends glance around, but saw that Rachel's gaze was locked onto the dragon, her expression one of slack-jawed disbelief.

"I must be going crazy too, because I can also see it, Hot Shot." She said and the doors to the car closed by itself.

"See _what?_ There's nothing out here but us and the totalled remains of your car." Carlos said.

Alexis glowered at him. "Rachel doesn't need to be reminded of that, so watch what you say!"

The dragon roared, and Rachel flinched while both Carlos and Alexis didn't eve react. The car did though, and now it was Rad's turn to cover Kero's mouth when it suddenly broke apart and reformed into a large yellow and blue robot that stared up at the sky as well.

"You three go and hide, I'll deal with this."

"But didn't Optimus say to call in?" Alexis questioned. Her brow furrowed. "Er, if you really do see something?"

'Hot Shot' glanced down at them with a blank expression before gazing up at the sky once more. "Now's not the time to argue, this could be a Decepticon trick. I can't fight this and carry you three at the same time."

"You were only supposed to do one thing though." Rachel said in her stern 'I'm very disappointed in you' voice. Apparently, even giant robots were affected as Hot Shot winced.

"The town is just right there though, and the people could get hurt." He retorted and aimed his hand toward the dragon, where Rad could see a cannon mounted on his wrist. "Get going, I'll hold it off until help gets here."

For a moment, Rad wondered about just why his cousin and his friends were even with the giant robots, much less about what they were talking about, but he pulled back behind the tree as the three other humans scurried into the forest too. He was tentatively grateful when they went into the _other_ part of the forest on the opposite side of the clearing, but he wasn't about to let him be spotted by chance.

"I'm so dead if Rachel sees me." Rad whispered as he scurried back behind yet another tree; one that was far enough from his friends and Rachel, but close enough so he could still see the robot raised his arm at the dragon to fire off several red blasts, but the spots on the constructs body which were hit remained perfectly intact. _'Looks like Create's putting more effort into this construct.'_

"We've got bigger problems than that." Kero said grimly. "At first I thought it was just High Wire, but if all of these mechas can see the cards, then you gotta be extra careful about catching them."

Rad nodded and wiped his brow, his eyes locked on Hot Shot, whose expression shifted to one of fear when the dragon dove toward him. The robot ducked and rolled to the side as the dragon's talons clawed grazed the ground as it flew back into the sky.

Hot Shot gritted his teeth as he shot once more at the dragon. He crouched low when the dragon roared and circled back around, taking another swan dive at him. Hot Shot rolled forward, and tumbled back to his feet. He twisted around as the dragon's claws dug into the ground and he lunged at the construct, jumping onto its back as it screeched and began to shake its body.

The robot wrapped his arms around the dragon's neck and held on tight. "Whoa!" he yelled as the dragon flapped its wings and flew into the air. "Didn't think this _throoouughh!"_

"What's going on? Why is Hot Shot floating wildly into the air?" Alexis sounded disturbed.

"I don't know, but it's kinda awesome to see." Carlos on the other hand sounded much too awed for it to be appropriate.

Rad furrowed his brow as the dragon flew higher, but he could still see the bright yellow form on his back as Hot Shot hit and kicked at the construct. The dragon continued to shake itself, but Hot Shot still held on like a limpet before he did a small jump to hook them over the dragon's wings and _twisted_ the appendages inward. Rad winced when the construct screeched.

For a moment, nothing happened. Slowly though, the dragon's body began careening down towards the lake, a large splash shooting into the sky with the force of the dive.

"Hurry Rad, while there still down there and everyone's distracted!" Kero said urgently.

Rad frowned. "Are you sure it'll work?"

"You gotta do _something!"_ Kero said.

The blond inched closer to the lake, making sure he was still hidden enough out of sight as he pointed at the lake, hoping that the golden glow of the circle beneath him didn't get him caught. "I command you to return to your power confine," he whispered, furrowing his brow as a glowing card-shaped shell appeared in front of the staff, "Sakura Card!"

A glow emitted from the lake, and a stream of blue light was sucked into the card. Rad glanced towards his friends and cousin, but found that their eyes were locked onto the lake. Rad pulled back abruptly behind the tree as Hot Shot resurfaced, but caught sight of the pink Sakura Card wavering around in the air before floating towards Hot Shot.

Kero put his hands over his own mouth as Hot Shot stared down the card as he caught it. He examined it for a moment before putting it into a compartment in one of his shoulders and made his way back to the shore at the clearing. "This is bad," he said, watching as the three other humans met up with Hot Shot, "like, _really_ bad."

"That was so cool, how'd you go all crazy like that?" Carlos questioned.

"Uh, did you not see me on that weird scaly thing?" Hot Shot asked, his tone offended.

"All we saw was you flying around in the air and taking a dive into the lake." Alexis relayed flatly. She looked up at Rachel, who was growing unhealthily pale and the brunette's expression became concerned. "What's wrong?"

"I'd like to go to the clinic now." she said and her lips pulled back as though she was going to be sick. "I've just had enough for the day."

Hot Shot tilted his head, but nodded as he transformed back into a car. "Alright, I'll tell Optimus that the situation's been taken care of."

Rad waited until the four of them were all gone from the clearing before he looked down at Kero. "What's gotten you all worked up? I caught the card, didn't I?"

"You did, but Create chose that mecha to be its master. By the laws of magic, since _he_ did the actual work of restraining Create, this 'Hot Shot' got it. This is really worrying though, since I can't sense any magic from Hot Shot, and the cards might be doing this out of spite." Kero explained, his brows furrowed in concern. "You have to get Create back; if that mecha tries to use it, Create can be set loose again."

Rad felt a cold chill run down his spine at the thought of yet again facing something that Create could make. What would it be next time? An inanimate concept? Like forgoing the dragon and just burning the town down? "You're right, I gotta get it back." He shrank his wand down to its key form before getting back onto his bike. "First though, I gotta get home before Rachel does."

* * *

Blinking, Fred found he'd fallen asleep at the desk he'd been sitting at; he tried to remember what he'd been doing, but it was all just a fuzzy blank. _'That's not good; I probably need something to boost up my blood sugar.'_ He thought and sluggishly made his way down to the reception area where his mother was just getting off the phone.

"Hello dear," she said upon noticing Fred, "are you ready to eat? You were upstairs for a while," she added and smiled teasingly, "just being so into writing with that new notebook of yours."

"Yeah." Fred said, trying hard not to show his confusion. What notebook was she talking about? "So, um, who was that?"

"Oh, it was just Rachel Becker." His mother's expression softened. "Poor dear got twisted ankle and she won't be able to work for the next little while." She shrugged. "These things just happen, what can you do, right?"

Fred nodded noncommittally, but the name seemed familiar. _'Wait, doesn't Rad have a cousin named Rachel?'_ he thought. He'd thought her name would have been 'White' too because of being related to Rad, but could it have been the same person? "Uh, that's too bad." He said and remembered the comic book still in the bag. "Oh! I thought we could stop by Billy's when you go on your break; I got a comic he liked and I said I'd bring it by."

His mother tilted her head. "Well, alright, but no going inside." She frowned sternly. "I don't want you to catch that bug."

Fred flushed. " _Mom!_ "

* * *

As boring as he found driving the humans around and waiting endlessly for Rachel to come out of the clinic, and dropping those two kids off, Hot Shot still thought the fight with that lizard thing certainly made up for it.

This was why it killed his good mood when neither Red Alert nor Optimus looked very impressed with his tale after he relayed it to them once he got back.

"I thought I made it clear that you were to warp back should trouble occur, but given what you have just said, it seems our presence was not needed after all." Optimus didn't sound the least bit appraising.

Red Alert was even less subtle. "What you imagine on your own is one thing, but it is quite another when you call in false reports."

Hot Shot bristled as he scowled at the blue Autobot. "I'm not making it up! I might not be as experienced as either of you, but what I'm saying is true; there was this giant lizard that turned into a card. Here, I'll show you." He said and pulled the strange pink card from his compartment and held it up to them both.

"That's a book on it." Red Alert said flatly.

"I know it's a book, Red!" Hot Shot retorted heatedly. "But I'm telling you that this thing _was_ the lizard."

"Hot Shot, in light of this…development, I feel it is best if you were to scout out the town again." Optimus said. "Perhaps I had been a bit too hasty in recruiting you for this mission; it is not uncommon for those grieving to-"

"Nothing's wrong with me!" Hot Shot shouted, but froze as he realized what he'd just done. "I'm-I'm sorry, sir. Perhaps you're right in that I should scout again," he said contritely, but then his expression hardened, "but I've had enough time to grieve back on Cybertron. My mental state is not in question."

Optimus gave him a measuring gaze, optics stern but not unkind as he looked at him. "You may leave when you're ready; dismissed, soldier."

Hot Shot saluted and made his way out of the command room. He looked down at the card, and pursed his lips as he put it back into his shoulder compartment. _'I know what I saw, there's nothing wrong with me.'_

He passed High Wire milling around the hall, two green storage panels clutched tightly to its chest, but the yellow bot just kept on walking; his mind too preoccupied than to give any thought to this mini-con's strange behavior right now.

* * *

Rachel leaned against her crutches, glowering at the door as she gathered up the courage to walk inside. From the near-death experience, the weird explanations to the dragon sighting, all she wanted to do was get into bed. She knew that would be impossible though, as Rad would no doubt be still mad about High Wire. The only consolation she had was the irony her car had been destroyed because it looked like Hot Shot, but even that was bitter at best.

Her body ached now, but this would likely be nothing compared to how she'd feel tomorrow.

Taking a deep breath, Rachel pulled her key out of her pocket and awkwardly unlocked the door. She limped inside, and saw Rad jump up from the couch, his expression annoyed.

"How could-" his eyes widened, and his jaw went slack as he looked at her beat-up state; both of Carlos' and Alexis' parents had the same expressions about how she got this way when the kids got dropped off. "What happened? Why are you on crutches?"

Rachel hadn't been able to tell the truth before, but even though that wasn't an issue here since Rad knew about the aliens, she still felt the need to keep this brief. "It got crazy." she said vaguely. "Look, you want a real explanation, call your friends; they were with me when this happened. Right now I just wanna go to sleep, okay?"

Rad blinked, his brows creasing in worry. "Uh, sure."

The blonde nodded and limped towards her room. "Oh," she called over her shoulder, "and you can make yourself something to eat, can't you? If not, there should be a twenty in my backpack for you to order out."

"Okay." Rad's voice sounded faint the further away Rachel got, and she only made a small detour to get a tablet from the Tylenol bottle in the bathroom.

Rachel set her crutches against the night stand and slid onto her bed, turning over onto her side as she waited until the pill took effect. She just wanted a few hours to sleep- to just forget about everything that went on today.

* * *

 **A/N: So, i** **n the anime, there's fifty-two cards, but fifty-three is The Nameless in the last episode, while in The Sealed Card movie it makes fifty-four with The Nothing. It goes back to fifty-three after both The Nothing and The Nameless merge into The Hope. Though if one were to get technical, there would be fifty-five with the addition of The Hope, but since The Nameless and The Hope were never actually Clow Cards, does it actually count? In the original line-up, no.**

 **In this though? Yes, since I've made it clear that this is a _continuation_ of Card Captor Sakura, hence the fact all the cards are Sakura Cards.**

 **Also, the thing about Create's capture might cause a bit of confusion. For this I reference the anime where Create was also used to make a dragon, and in that same episode Big appeared. Sakura sealed the dragon, and got Create for it. Now, it was never established whether when Sakura used Big to turn herself into a giant to fight the dragon, whether or not Big also magnified her magical powers, or if as merely an extension of Create, the dragon's capture still counted as sealing the Clow Card. I choose the latter, but this is merely a small liberty considering that I'm warping things enough already and it _is_ a viable option.**


	6. Chapter 5: Sweet Lies Part 1

**Chapter 5: Sweet Lies Part 1**

 _(Alternative Title: There's Mini-Cons In Them Hills)_

* * *

It might have taken almost an hour of trying to convince her parents to let her out of the house, but Alexis was glad they finally relented. She didn't blame them, given the string of events that had happened in the last few days; first the earthquake, and then Rachel's car getting hit by a 'tree' on its back end that left her injured from slamming on the brakes and her foot twisting at an angle.

This was why Alexis had decided her first stop should have been to a bakery and buying a cupcake to wish Rachel well. It likely couldn't have been easy to keep herself steady for Alexis and Carlos, but even she probably needed cheering up after Rad called her and Carlos to ask about what happened on Saturday.

Alexis walked into Rhona's Bakery and looked over the cake slices and cupcakes lining the inside of the glass casing. There were so many to choose from, and everything looked so good with their bright decorations and colorful frostings. She waited until the customer already in the store had left before pointing to two of the cupcakes. "I'll take a strawberry chip and chocolate one please."

Ms. Rhona Jay nodded and used a set of tongs to put the two cupcakes into a brown paper bag and handed it to Alexis. She still had her cheery smile from when she'd been the town's weather girl, and Alexis felt like she was watching the morning weather report with her parents every time. "Will that be all?"

"Yes." Alexis replied and Ms. Jay nodded.

"That'll be three-fifty." Alexis handed Ms. Jay the exact change. "Thank you, have a nice day."

Alexis smiled and nodded back before she made her way out of the shop. The weight of the bag was next to nothing, but it brought a lightness to her heart all the same as she was bringing this to Rachel. The continued journey to the apartment complex didn't take long, and she soon found herself knocking on the door, with Rad opening it a moment later.

"Hey, Alexis, what are you doing here? I'm not allowed to have anyone over."

Alexis puffed out her cheeks. "I'm not here to see _you_ ," she lifted the paper bag, "I brought this for Rachel-I thought it could cheer her up."

Rad tilted his head. "Well, okay, you can come in then." He said and allowed the brunette entry. "She's been asleep since this morning, so if she doesn't answer I'll tell her you stopped by."

"No way, you could eat the cupcakes." Alexis said and Rad looked offended, but her stern glare never faltered.

Rad slumped his shoulder. "Yeah, I probably would." He admitted quietly.

Alexis smiled triumphantly, but paused as she saw a small, yellow plush toy on the table. "Hey, what's this? It's kind of a strange-looking teddy bear."

"That's because it's not-Kero's a lion." Rad said as he pulled the plush toy behind his back, face flushing.

The brunette would have wheedled him about keeping such a childish thing, but she had more important matters to attend too. She walked down the hall, and felt her face heat as she realized she didn't know which room was Rachel's; she'd been in this apartment once when Rad wanted her help with his homework the day he'd moved in. Both doors had been closed at the time, and she hadn't thought it polite to ask whose room belonged to whom.

Now, she found herself turning around and found Rad drying off dishes. "Rad, which room is Rachel's?"

Rad barely looked up. "It's the one on your right."

 _'Well, that didn't go like I thought it would._ ' Alexis thought, but only knocked on the right door.

There was a rustling inside. "Come in." A voice called and Alexis walked in; Rachel was lying in her bed, the leg with the cast sticking out on top of the covers that were up to her chest. She had dark circles under her eyes and her face was drawn in misery, with dishevelled blonde hair framing her face. Alexis still felt her breath catch and a fluttering in the pit of her stomach, even as Rachel's expression contorted in consternation.

"Rad's not allowed to have his friends over." She said moodily.

Alexis blinked and hurriedly held up the bag. "Oh, I came to see you-to, uh, give you this."

Rachel looked at her skeptically, but shrugged as she pulled herself up to rest against her headboard. "Alright, give it here." She said and Alexis almost sprinted to the bed to hand her the bag. "Thank you." She added and paused when she saw how many cupcakes there were. "Oh, you brought one for Rad too?" she pulled out the strawberry chip and handed the bag back. "Here, give this to him please."

Alexis struggled to keep the frown off of her face. "You're welcome. I hope you get well soon." She said, while on the inside she felt just a tad crushed that Rachel hadn't offered the second cupcake to _her_. _'I thought we could eat them together.'_ She thought morosely, but walked out the room and back to the kitchen, finding that Rad was finished with the dishes and sitting on the couch-that lion plushy lying beside him. "Head's up." She said, Rad looking up as she tossed him the paper bag.

He looked down at it before looking back up at her. "What, something not go according to plan?"

Alexis stiffened, her eyes widening slightly. He couldn't have noticed, could he? "I'm not sure what you mean."

Rad snorted. " _Please,_ you totally brought Ray a cupcake so you could ask her a favor later." Alexis felt indignation well up inside of her, but before she could speak, Rad bit into the cupcake-only to immediately spit it back out onto the coffee table, the frosting splattering across the surface as Rad's expression twisted in disgust. "That was so gross! Where the heck did you buy this?"

Alexis was speechless for a moment. Had Ms. Jay made a bad batch? Didn't she taste the product before making sure it was edible? "From Rhona's Bakery; are you sure it's that bad?"

Rad looked incredulous at her mention of the bakery. "Ms. Jay's always made great desserts, I don't understand how this can taste so…so _sweet_ , but this thing makes my teeth hurt. Here, try it." He held out the cupcake to Alexis, who flinched as she saw the bite mark in the pastry.

"Er, I'll take your word for it." She said, and Rad shrugged as he put the cupcake back into the bag. Alexis thought of prolonging her stay, but she had already done what she came to do. "So, I guess I'll see you later."

Rad nodded absently as he followed her to the door. "Yeah, see you at school tomorrow." He said and closed the door after her.

* * *

Rad craned his neck as he stared through the peephole after Alexis before looking back at Kero. "Okay, she's gone, but keep it down now that Rachel's up." He whispered.

Kero flapped his wings a few times as he nodded. He floated over to the cupcake, circling it as he sniffed experimentally, but reeled back and held his hands over his nose. "Oh man, this isn't good."

"Don't tell me-Sakura Card?" Rad asked sarcastically, but furrowed his brow when Kero nodded once more. "Are you serious? Ms. Jay could have just made a bad batch of cupcakes."

"We gotta make sure, can't leave anything to chance, alright?" Kero questioned.

Rad sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, you're right." He agreed softly. "I still can't leave though. I hate to say this, but we gotta wait until I get done school tomorrow for me to find out." He said grumpily.

"What about all these poor pastries that could be affected?" Kero demanded as he floated up to be eye-level with Rad, allowing the blond to see just how serious the guardian was. "And besides, if I'm right, Sweet could do more than just mess up a few dozen cupcakes." he added, but continued when Rad opened his mouth, "Sweet can make anything, well, _sweet_. It's not just that though, anything _else_ she touches will also _become_ a sweet."

Rad's eyes widened as he realized the implications of what Kero was saying. "Well, I'll make some calls and try and see if anyone else bought something from Ms. Jay's. If this is a Sakura Card, then she could be driven out of business." He pointed to the couch. "Wait here, I gotta ask Ray if I can use her phone, and-" he put his finger over his lips and Kero once again nodded.

The blond ducked out of the living room and down the hall, knocking on Rachel's door as he walked in to find his cousin frowning as she looked at the half-eaten cupcake sitting on the nightstand by her cellphone. "Hey, Ray. Can I call my friends? I forgot to ask Alexis when she was here if we could go to her house tomorrow and study for a test we have on Friday."

"You _want_ to study? I'm impressed." Rachel mused sardonically. "Alright, you can call, but take _this_ -" she jerked her head at the cupcake-"with you. I think Ms. Jay had a bad batch."

"Yeah, the one I had didn't taste any better." Rad replied as he grabbed both pastry and cell.

"Oh, and could you turn down the television? I'm trying to get some more sleep." Rachel said as she lowered herself back onto her bed.

Rad nodded as he turned away, his face steadfastly kept out of sight as he walked out of the room. Once back in the hall, he sighed in relief. _'That was close.'_ He thought and hurried back into the living room. He scooped up the bag from the coffee table and stuffed the other cupcake inside. When Rad tossed the bag into the garbage, Kero let out a faint whimper while Rad punched in the number to his aunt and uncle's phone. He waited as the phone rang a few times, and then a woman's voice came over the phone. "Hi, Aunt Joy, did you happen to go to Rhona's Bakery today?"

"Yeah, I was gonna bring you and Rachel some pie, but someone said that today's batch is all nasty. Rhona actually closed the shop for the day just before I could get there." Aunt Joy said, but then her tone became stern. "And this morning when your uncle went to buy groceries, he met with Mrs. Ottman and she told him that Rachel called in that she couldn't work for the week because she got a sprained ankle."

"Um, you can't talk to Rachel because she's asleep, and I don't want to wake her up-she was really tired last night." Rad explained, his eyes shifting around the room nervously.

Aunt Joy sighed heavily. "Oh, alright. Just tell her to call me once she wakes up."

"Right, got it. See ya, thanks for the information." Rad said quickly, and ended the call before Aunt Joy could reply. He grimaced down at the phone, but frowned when he thought of who his aunt could have been talking about. _'Ottman, Ottman-wait,_ Fred _Ottman? That must have been his mom.'_ He thought and dialed up yet another contact about the bakery.

Rad didn't want to admit it, but fifteen minutes later, he found that Kero was probably right. If this Sweet was the culprit, then he would need a plan to scope out the shop after school tomorrow. He sat down next to Kero and glanced at him. "Quick question, if this is Sweet-"

"-which I'm positive it is-"

"-then when would be the best time to try and catch her?"

Kero rubbed his chin. "Create was a tricky one, but Sweet would be active during the day. She likely won't try anything when you scope out the shop tomorrow, but pretend you don't see her if you _do_ -she'll likely sense you as well, but at least this way it'll fool her into think you've just gone to buy something. At night is when she'll have quieted down so to say, but we'll need to be quick about catching her or she'll get suspicious."

Rad absorbed what Kero said, and he nodded as he got up to march towards Rachel's room. He set the phone down and bit his lip. "Aunt Joy found out about your sprained ankle," he said and Rachel groaned, pulling the pillow behind her over her head, "and she wants you to call her when you get up."

Rachel groaned louder. " _Fine_. I'll be up later to help with supper."

"That's okay; I can just make mac and cheese." Rad said. "It's not that difficult to cook."

Rachel peered at him out from under the pillow, and nodded at him with a faint smile. "Just for being so well-behaved, I won't say anything about you taking my book."

Rad stiffened, his smile freezing. "Uh, thanks." He said and made his way back out of the room. Guilt gnawed at him as he thought over what his cousin said. _'Yeah, I'm gonna be so well-behaved that tomorrow I'll be doing something you don't know about.'_ He wished Kero wasn't right about his assumption of Rachel's probable reaction to magic, but even if she _had_ believed him, there was no way she'd let him go out off to do potentially dangerous things.

He breathed in deeply, and tried to think of how he was going to break into the bakery.

* * *

High Wire paced back and force, muttering to himself as he refused to give up the other two components of their combined form. He'd seen the two remaining Autobots watching him at times, as if trying to figure out what he was doing, but it wasn't like they could ask him anyway. He could still remember being separated from Grindor and Sureshock during the war on Cybertron and he didn't want that to happen here.

The Autobots were always the lesser of the evils, but the encoded servility program still made them obedient followers. High Wire had already been assured of his 'useless' status given the fact the Autobots believed that he couldn't uplink with them now.

High Wire wanted to ensure the same for his partners, but he couldn't ask Rachel for anymore uplinks. She'd be super mad if she knew what he was doing.

This was what led him to sneaking out of the Autobot base and making his way down the mountain in his robot mode, as his bicycle form had no basket to hold the other two panels. It was underhanded and put even more humans at risk, but he couldn't let his friends be subjected to the servility program again.

High Wire scurried as fast as he could through the forest and into the town, ducking in and out of alleyways whenever he saw a vehicle of any kind driving along the roads, and steering clear of the street lights. He couldn't believe that so many humans still were out after dark, but Cybertron had been the same in much of the way.

The mini-con paused when he found a store, and through the glass he saw both a scooter and a skateboard; the items brought to mind the two transportation that the other children today had-which were subsequently been destroyed by Cyclonus' missile along with Rachel's car.

High Wire pulled back into the alleyway, making sure to stay out of sight as he set the two storage panels down and coaxed his partners awake. The plates began glowing green and in a burst of multi-colored light, a blue mini-con and an orange mini-con appeared.

The orange one, Sureshock, looked around at the dark alleyway, pulling back from a pile of large, foul-smelling bags. " _High Wire, why did you wake us up here? This is disgusting!"_

 _"We had to keep out of sight."_ High Wire apologized. _"We're on planet Earth, and I have found a way for you both to avoid activating the servility program."_

 _"Really, how?"_ The blue one, Grindor, asked skeptically.

 _"That's quite simple-we uplink with the organics on this planet."_ High Wire explained cheerfully, but all he received were two flat stares. _"Now hear me out. I already linked with a human, and the Autobots can't uplink with me because this human understood me and all that- **plus** the programming doesn't activate upon linking with a human."_

 _"So, we do this, and we can still be, uh, **us?** " _Grindor questioned quietly. High Wire nodded. " _How can we trust these humans though?"_

 _"He's right; we wouldn't exactly know where to look."_ Sureshock added.

High Wire felt guilty for leaving out large chunks of his explanation, but even for their standards the truth would be too farfetched until it could be proven true. For now he would wait until a more opportune time. Right now he was just glad that his partners were accepting of this idea. _"I already found two candidates; they're sparkling equivalents, but not likely to ask you to fight-especially if you look the right way. Follow me,_ he said and gestured for them to trail after him, leading them in front of the store and pointed at the two children vehicles, _"scan those and we can go try and get them to agree as well."_

" _Well, it would be nice not to fight."_ Grindor said and carefully scanned the skateboard, his form breaking down into a replica of the item once finished.

 _"Yeah, it really would."_ Sureshock said, but her tone was just a bit more reluctant as she scanned the scooter as well. Once finished, her form was nothing like the scooter, and it resembled a more larger vehicle- much like the bike, except the bottom proportions were way off. _"What just-"_

 _"You must really be feeling your age."_ High Wire quipped.

Sureshock transformed back and clenched her fist, shaking it at him. " _Why you-"_

High Wire shushed her. _"We still can't be seen by anyone else. Now come on."_ He said and transformed. They could go faster this way, and they would need to be quick once the Autobots picked up the new signals and realized that he'd left.

 _"Where are we going anyway?"_

High Wire paused, as in his haste he forgot the most important thing; how was he supposed to find Alexis' and Carlos' houses? _"Um, I…wait! I know just the thing!"_

* * *

"Sleeping on duty again," Megatron growled at the cowering helicopter as he rested against a slab he'd fashioned into a throne, "you not only failed to know that Leader-1 was on this wasteland, but you also failed to inform me of the abnormal readings that have appeared." He scowled and slammed his fist down onto the armrest, Cyclonus flinching. Leader-1, who was sitting on the Decepticon's knee, and Starscream who was standing beside the throne, showed the slightest reaction. "You have not been melted down to scrap yet as those were not mini-con signals, but to _stress_ the importance of finding them, Leader-1 is going to show you just _why_ the Autobots cannot be allowed to acquire them first."

The small white mini-con lowered its cannon and fired; Cyclonus threw himself to the floor as Leader-1 shot off several loud blasts that were scattered along the back walls, leaving them scorched and damaged. The mini-con impassively discharged his cannon and settled it back into place.

"Megatron-uh, sir, what happened here?" Having just arrived, Demolishor was taken aback by the new wear and tear to the ship. This would set back repairs in between hunts for the mini-cons, he just knew it. "Er, anyway," he quickly went on, "there have been two mini-con signals picked up, and yet another strange anomaly that appeared."

"For now the mini-con is top priority, I will not waste resources on this second oddity until I find substantive proof it could of any use." Megatron said sternly. He turned his cold gaze down to Cyclonus, who peered up from under his servos nervously. "You will take point, but if you fail; I _will_ melt you down into scrap metal- _understood?"_

Cyclonus hurried to stand back up, saluting quickly at his leader. "Yes, of course Lord Megatron. I won't let you down."

Megatron scowled at him. "You'd better not."

* * *

Rad frowned as he looked up from the television to the door at the sound of soft thudding. Kero glanced up at him as Rad set down his bowl of mac and cheese before making his way over. He peered through the peephole, but furrowed his brow when he couldn't see anyone. Cautiously, he hooked in the lock chain and opened the door a fraction. His eyes widened as he took in the three vehicles, but only the blue and gray bicycle had him realizing who these were. "High Wire, what are you doing here? Do you know what Ray will do if she finds out you came back?"

 _"I know I swore to be good for the Autobots, but I don't want my friends to be bound to their servility program."_ High Wire said as he wheeled around and twitched his handle bars at the moped and skateboard behind him.

Rad bit his lip. "Well, you'd better get in here and tell me what's going on. Just be quiet. Rachel is sleeping and I don't want her to know you're all here."

 _"I can go along with that."_ High Wire agreed. When Rad opened the door properly, the three mini-cons all scooted inside and he quietly relocked it. _"Rad, allow me to introduce you to Sureshock,_ " the moped blinked its lights, " _and Grindor,"_ the skateboard wheeled back and forth, _"the three of us make up a combiner robot named Perceptor, but we'll get to that later."_

Rad tilted his head, and caught sight of Kero peering over the armrest of the couch as the three robots transformed into their bi-pedal forms. "Look who came back." He teased and Kero huffed and pulled back against the couch.

High Wire beeped rudely at the guardian. _"Glad to see you too, plushy."_

Rad rolled his eyes before he ushered the three to sit at the table. "So, how do you expect your friends to escape the servility program? You planning on asking me to link with them too?"

" _No, there's no need for that."_ High Wire said, but Rad narrowed his eyes suspiciously. _"I need the addresses of your friends. I feel they would be helpful in giving Sureshock and Grindor a safe environment."_ He explained, though Rad still didn't look convinced. _"You see, what **you** did in our first meeting was before I activated the others with the signal, and what that means is you kinda imprinted with them too. It's the reason you can understand them too."_

Rad opened his mouth, since that sounded very strange, but High Wire hurried on, " _You see, it would take a fair bit of explaining, so just please go with it for now. Anyway, a mini-con was considered 'unavailable' if they linked with a bulk, because the servility program cancelled the need to have another link-up. I found that in the Autobot base my own signal had stopped broadcasting after I linked with Rachel, and the Decepticons were merely scouting the area **because** I had been there. In all likely hood they would also be here soon since these two activated as well-which is why I want them to get linked with your friends."_

Rad blinked, his mind struggling to keep up with the words that were popped into his head. He could feel the thrice amount of feeling behind the words, and realized that this link really did connect him to the others. The thing which had his mind coming to a screeching halt was the part about the Decepticons. "Wait, are you telling me that the Decepticons are coming _back_ because you activated these two?" he asked, but frowned as another thought formed. "Wouldn't the Autobots know what you did though? Wouldn't they be coming to check too?"

High Wire rubbed the back of his head nervously. _"Well, that's probably true. So, will you help us out?"_

Rad felt his head ache as he struggled to piece together just what was happening. "Okay, so first you come here and tell me that the Decepticons are going to be in the area, and now you want me to get my friends even more involved to save _your_ friends? _And_ , you expect me to help you because you're asking?"

" _No."_ High Wire said firmly. _"I'm asking because you're my only hope. The Autobots wouldn't understand, and I don't think Rachel would either. But you, you've got magic and weirdness, so you **would** get this, right?"_

Rad wasn't quite sure what High Wire was saying, as this all was heavy for a twelve-year-old to process, but he knew that even beyond that he'd missed High Wire. Sure, the mini-con hadn't really listened to Rachel, but maybe Rad could convince her it would be a good thing to have him around after all? "I'll try to get my friends to accept these bots, but don't hold your breath."

Sureshock crossed their arms. " _Robots don't need to breath."_ She said primly.

Rad smiled slightly. "You know, I think you just might get along with Alexis." He said and pointed down the hall. "Transform and go hide in my closet. Rachel's got class early tomorrow, so you just need to stay put until she leaves. I'll tell her I'm taking my bike and then we can go meet up with my friends at school. Sound like a plan-er, sort of at least?" he asked, and the three mini-cons looked between each other before nodding.

Kero sighed from where he was perching his arms over the armrest. "If only you put this much effort into capturing Sweet."

Rad glowered at the guardian. "I'll have you know that these little bots are in danger of capture, and I don't recall ever hearing _you_ tell me about someone else going after the Sakura Cards."

Kero shot into the air and got in close to Rad's face. "Need I remind you that the big yellow mecha took Create? That's a big problem right there. He tries to activate it and you'll have to catch Create all over again."

Rad pulled back at the reminder, realizing that despite his less-than-fearsome form, Kero still had a sharpness to him. He glanced away and frowned. "Yeah, I know, I haven't forgotten about that." He mumbled. "I'll work on getting Create back after I deal with both the mini-con situation and Sweet's, okay?"

 _"I've been meaning to ask,"_ Grindor said quietly as he pointed at Kero, _"but what is that thing? It's the strangest organic I've never seen."_

"Oh, this is Kero, probably should have mentioned that." Rad said rubbing his neck nervously. "He's my mentor or something about these magic cards, which is really complicated but you can't tell Carlos or Alexis about it if they agree to take you cause magic is weird like that I guess."

Kero rolled his eyes. "It's not because magic's weird, it's that _people_ can get weird about it. This is some very powerful stuff you're dealin' with Rad, and I know that power tends to corrupt a lot of the time. Even if your friends and family did know, what's to say that this wouldn't give them ideas about asking you to do something-it could be small like passing a test, or it could be big like robbing a bank."

Rad gaped at the guardian, his expression incredulous. A protective surge fought past it as he glowered at Kero, reaching out to shake him by the ear. "Listen you, some people may be like that, but I know my friends. Carlos can be a slacker with school, and Alexis can be self-righteous, but they've both got their good qualities too." He released Kero with a small wave that sent the guardian spinning back to the couch. "I'll prove it too you. If they accept the mini-cons and keep them a secret, I'll show you that they can accept magic and keep _that_ a secret too."

Kero rolled back into an upright position, eyes narrowed in scrutiny. "That's just it, you're entire argument relies on an _if_. Here's something for ya; what if they _can't_ adapt?"

Rad didn't answer as he turned towards the window, the mini-cons having quietly taken their leave through the low spoken arguing, and the blond pulled the curtains closed as the sky had turned a deep, inky blue with stars twinkling above and the moon shining brightly. He sighed as he set his dish into the sink and turned off the television.

Only then, when everything was set, did he finally give Kero his answer. "I…I don't know." He said honestly. "But what _do_ know is that if I can't trust them, then who can I trust?"

For his part, Kero didn't seem to have an answer either.

* * *

Alexis blinked, and tried to make sure she wasn't seeing things as Rad waited by the school's bicycle rack, and Carlos was skating around the sidewalk with a skateboard she'd last seen get blown to smithereens along with her scooter. "Did your parents buy you a new one?"

"No, it's a little robot that High Wire found." Carlos said casually.

For Alexis, she thought there should have been _nothing_ casual about the way he said it. "Do you not remember all that happened to Rachel? About almost being killed?"

Carlos halted the skateboard and crossed his arms defensively. "I remember; I'm just trying not to let it get me down. I mean, yeah it's awful what happened to Ray because she wanted to protect High Wire, but that wasn't _their_ fault, just the big robots, uh, Decepticons. And once Rad explained to me just why High Wire brought his buddies, I couldn't leave Grindor hangin'."

Alexis puffed out her cheeks as Carlos pushed himself down to the school steps and she rounded on Rad, hands on her hips as she gave him her most stern glower. "And just what were _you_ thinking, both of you?" she asked with a pointed stare at the blue bike. "Why did you think bringing them to school would be a good idea if those Decepticons are after them? Don't you know it's dangerous?"

Rad crossed his arms and glared back at her. "I know how much of a risk this is, but what was I supposed to do? I couldn't just let High Wire's friends be stuck as someone's weapon; besides, he told me that those Decepticons would only scout out the area, and that only lasts as long as a mini-con goes unlinked for. So that's why I asked Carlos to link with Grindor when I stopped by his house this morning, and now I'm asking if you'll link with Sureshock." He said and gestured to the orange moped parked in the stand beside High Wire.

Alexis reeled back. "Oh no, if you're so desperate, why don't _you_ link with it?"

"Because I _can't_." Rad said frustrated. "And even if you won't take her in, at least just link with her, please? At least that way I'll know she'll be safe like Grindor is."

While very resistant to the idea of being near these robots, let alone doing this 'linking' after all the grief they'd caused Rachel, she grumbled and reluctantly nodded. "Fine, but don't expect me to like this." She said. Even if she was against this, she felt a certain responsibility towards her friends to keep them out of trouble.

Rad smiled, and Alexis glowered at him. "Great, take Sureshock and go link with her behind those bushes. I'll cover you."

Alexis rolled her eyes as she scooted the mini-con off the stand and wheeled it towards said bushes that lined the sidewalk of the school. She pushed Sureshock into the bushes on its side, and crawled in just as Rad stood in front of them and tried to push the branches to block them from view. Alexis tensed when Sureshock transformed and extended its finger, the tip glowing. The brunette reluctantly touched the tip, and when it died down, Sureshock quickly transformed back into a moped.

"Hey, what are you doing over here, Rad?"

Alexis froze as she recognized Billy's voice. Through the branches she could see Fred was with him and Rad huffed in response.

"Looking for my home key." He replied casually. "What are you doing here, Billy? I thought you'd be skipping school again?"

Billy thrashed his arms angrily about, a glower on his face. "I was sick all weekend you dweeb!" he stepped forward, but Alexis had enough sense to stop this before it escalated.

"Hey, back off." She said and crawled out from under the bushes.

Billy froze up while Fred furrowed his brow. "You were there?" he asked while Fred asked _"Why_ were you there?"

Alexis dusted off her capris. "I was helping Rad, his key was really back in there." she said and crossed her arms. "Now, will you leave or do I have to get a teacher involved?"

Billy huffed up. "We're going, teacher's pet!" he snapped and stormed off.

Fred lagged behind for a moment as he looked at Rad. "Sorry to hear about your cousin, hope she gets well soon."

Rad blinked in what looked like surprise. "Uh, thanks." He said and Fred nodded before rushing after Billy. "I will never understand how those two are friends."

Alexis crossed her arms. "I will never understand how I'm friends with _you_." She said grumpily. "Seriously Rad, the robots and Billy? Will you never stop and think first?"

"Hey, I can _so_ think." Rad replied annoyed.

Alexis shook her head. "Put your little robot friend back with High Wire, I'm going to get to class before the bell rings." She said and made her way up to the steps as Carlos arrived there. She pursed her lips as he put the 'skateboard' into his backpack, but didn't say anything for now as he opened the door for them to be let in.

She glanced back and saw Rad put Sureshock with High Wire, his expression apologetic as he said something too low to hear, but she glanced away and went inside without another look back.

She couldn't feel guilty, not after what she'd seen happen to Rachel.


	7. Chapter 6: Sweet Lies Part 2

**Chapter 6: Sweet Lies Part 2**

* * *

The day had passed by almost painfully slow, and Rad didn't know if this could be a Sakura Card or just his anxiety taking a toll on him. Anytime he had been tempted to lie his head down and take a nap, he'd pinched his arm to pay attention. Normally he would have been happy to only have had two classes with Billy, as the other boy's attempts to pick a fight were annoying, but he would have welcomed it today just to make the day go by faster.

So when he was finally out of school, he pushed open the entrance doors more dramatically than he should and sighed theatrically. "Man, that went on _for-ev-er_ ; what a nightmare."

Alexis rolled her eyes as she and Carlos exited the school after him. "That's slacker talk, school isn't that bad."

"And _that's_ geek talk." Carlos said, but there was a teasing tone to it, which only made Alexis roll her eyes again.

"Careful, you keep doing that and you're gonna strain your eyes." Rad pointed out.

Alexis huffed and crossed her arms. "I _wouldn't_ do it if you two weren't so eye-roll worthy."

The three of them walked towards the bicycle stand, and while Carlos took Grindor out of his backpack, Rad furrowed his brow as he took in both High Wire and Sureshock. He cleared his throat nervously. "Hey, Alexis, could I ask you for a favor?"

Alexis glared at him suspiciously. "What kind of favor?"

"Well, you see," Rad poked his index finger tips together, "I need someone to take High Wire back home. And I'm gonna be kinda busy, so I just figured…"

Alexis glowered and crossed her arms. "And why exactly would I do that? Why can't you get Carlos to do it? He's all buddy-buddy with these robots now."

Carlos hopped up onto Grindor and began moving the mini-con back and forth. "Are you kidding? I'm gonna be out seeing what this little guy can do. The desert seems like a good place to do that; no one will be around for miles."

"Yeah, I'm gonna head out with Carlos after seeing if Ms. Jay's got a good batch of cupcakes today." Rad said quickly.

Alexis' expression twisted up in disbelief. "Are you two crazy? Why would you go out by yourselves after everything's that happened?"

"Come on, Alexis, we'll be fine." Carlos said dismissively. "You really need to lighten up, all you think about is school and being a kiss-up to Rachel."

Rad tilted his head when Alexis turned an interesting shade of red, her expression torn between anger and embarrassment. "Hey, what's he talking about?" he asked her, but her eyes were focused with dagger-like precision on Carlos.

"I'll show you who can't lighten up!" she shouted and marched over to Sureshock and pulled her off the stand. "We'll have a race to the mesa just beyond the forest; first one to there has to say nothing but nice things about the other for the whole _week_."

Carlos laughed as he pumped his fist into the air. "You are so on! It's about time you let yourself have some fun."

Rad shook his head, but given that now Carlos had roped Alexis into going with him, he backed away with High Wire. "I'll catch up with you guys later; I still wanna go get out Ms. Jay's shop."

Carlos waved as both he and Alexis drove. "Later, man!"

Rad sat on High Wire's seat and let the mini-con ride down the side walk. "I sure hope they'll be alright. The Decepticons must need to sleep too, right? Or are they different from mini-cons?"

" _We are very similar, the bulks even have the ability to combine with each other, but not everyone can do that."_ High Wire said. _"And yes, they need to rest for a time, and they need to attend to other needs, but I cannot be sure if they would follow a nightly scouting or a daytime one."_

"We'll that's reassuring." Rad muttered. "Still, both Sureshock and Grindor aren't giving off signals now and I haven't seen or heard any low flying jets or 'copters lately. I suppose all I can do is hope for the best, right?"

 _"You could have stopped them altogether."_ High Wire said in a chastising tone which had Rad biting his lip as he glanced away.

"Maybe I could have _tried,_ but I doubt it would have worked. I can sort of calm an argument between those two, but once they get going there's really no point." He explained.

 _"Your friends are strange."_

Rad nodded, but bashfully could admit _he_ was pretty strange too. After all, what else was he supposed to call going to scout out a bakery to see if there was a magic card there wreaking havoc? He was pulled out of his thoughts as he pushed down on the brakes. "Wait, this is the place," he said and got off the bike to steer High Wire over to the bakery shop, and peering in he saw an older woman behind the counter with a nervous expression on her face as a customer seemed to be making a disgusted face and stormed out the shop, with Rad ducking out of the way to avoid being hit by the door.

He pointed at High Wire to stay put before he walked inside, biting his lip as he glanced around at the candy rack display and glass casing with all the desserts behind it. Rad smiled up at Ms. Jay. "Hello, would you have happened to have made any molten lava cakes? My cousin really likes those."

Ms. Jay smiled sadly, her cheery persona cracking a little under the pressure she was likely feeling. "Yeah, but hopefully they won't turn out to be a bust like everything else I've sold." She grumbled as she went about fetching the chocolate cake slice.

Rad dug into his pocket for the emergency money Rachel had him carry. He was supposed to use this in case he needed to use the payphone, but this scouting _was_ an emergency. "Why, is there something wrong with the pastries?"

"I don't know, I've been using the same recipes I always do, but maybe it's an ingredient that's bad. I sure hope this funk passes soon though, or I might go out of business." Ms. Jay said, her expression downcast.

"Don't feel too bad, maybe things will start to pick up again-who knows?" Rad said brightly as he handed over the money and received the small paper bag in return. He smiled, but froze as he felt his teeth start to ache, and he could smell something sickly sweet in the shop. "Are you baking something right now?"

"No, it's probably just the fumes; I've worked in here so long that I hardly notice it anymore." Ms. Jay laughed self-deprecatingly.

Rad chuckled along uneasily, his eyes scanning over the treats until he saw a glimpse in the corner of his eye. "Well, see ya." He said and turned to the door, and in his sights he saw a small fairy-like woman with a very puffy appearance. The main portion of her pink hair was large and had him thinking of cotton candy with two small puffball pigtails below her neck while on her forehead was an orange starburst pattern. The top half of her yellow dress looked like it could pass for a very candy-ish sweater while the bottom half was in a round puffy shape. She was wearing striped socks that resembled those on a candy cane and she was pointing a candy cane striped wand that ended in another puffball at a cupcake.

He had a likely enough guess of what she was doing, but in keeping his presence casual, Rad pretended not to have noticed her as she paused and watched him leave. When he got onto High Wire, he turned the bike so he could get another look at Sweet, and found she was circling around a brownie this time, pointing her wand at it where a cupcake had previously been. "You saw her too, right?" he asked once they were back to riding down the sidewalk.

" _I thought she was a glitch, but yes, I saw her."_ High Wire said, but when he continued, he was confused. " _What was she doing?"_

"I…I think she just used one of her powers." Rad admitted. "Kero said she could make things sweet, while also turning other things into sweets too." He was a bit worried that Sweet had sensed Windy hiding in his over shirt pocket, but thankfully hadn't given him more than a cursory glance.

As he and High Wire rode down the corner, Rad blinked as he heard the horn of a truck blare, and he looked behind him to find a red and blue semi-trailer following after them. He squinted at the tinted windows, which for a moment lightened enough for Rad to find that there was no driver. He sighed and looked down at High Wire. "Should I keep going or do we try and ditch him?"

" _One does not 'ditch' Optimus Prime."_ High Wire said primly.

Rad thought back to him and Rachel's first 'encounter' with the Autobot, and decided not to call the mini-con on what he'd said during their talk in the apartment afterwards. "Fine, we were gonna get busted anyway." He said and gestured for the semi to follow him into a mostly empty parking lot.

 _"Remember, he doesn't know that you can understand me, so you're gonna have to play dumb and pretend that Rachel was the one who I linked with."_ High Wire said as the blond removed himself from the seat.

Rad scowled at the last minute confession, but had no time to chew out the mini-con as he transformed while the semi pulled to a stop beside them. He called on the knowledge that his friends gave him and hoped it would be enough. "Hey, sorry about the other day. I know me and Rachel ran away, but it's not like we were just gonna stick around while you two fought it out like you and that other robot looked like you were about to do."

"His designation is Megatron, and I can understand your reaction." Optimus said, his tone a tad neutral before his attention turned to High Wire with how stern his voice became. "You should have known better than to sneak off with two panels, the Decepticons could be scouting the area for them right now."

High Wire slumped, his beeps translated as utter nonsense, but Rad crossed his arms and pursed his lips accordingly. "I had no idea he was _him_ until I got to school. Rachel told me that you were looking for mini-cons and there he was bringing out two more from behind a building for my friends to link with." He shook his finger at High Wire like his mother used to when he was being bad. "Shame on you, mister, for tricking us like that."

High Wire lowered himself more, beeping in what sounded apologetic muttering, but Rad had to keep from cracking up at what he actually heard. _"Laying it on a little thick, aren't you? Perhaps you need acting lessons."_ Given his current tone, the contrasting, smug words were hilarious.

Rad looked at the semi, but wasn't quite sure just _where_ to look, so kept his gaze on the window. "Um, when we met, thanks for saving me and Rachel, and thanks for saving her and my friends yesterday; they mean a lot to me."

"Of course, protecting life is what the Autobots _do_." Optimus said and Rad beamed at him.

"Oh, and my name's Rad, but you probably already heard Rachel cursing my name in the time you met her." He said sheepishly. "So, I guess this means you gotta take High Wire away?" he asked softly.

"I'm afraid so, Rachel not only asked High Wire to stay with us, but it is simply too dangerous to allow children to be in possession of the mini-cons." Optimus explained.

"I see." Rad said, thoughts in his head turning. "Well, could I come with you? I know where Alexis and Carlos are, and I might be able to talk them into giving the mini-cons up-they seemed really attached to them."

Optimus was silent for a moment, and Rad just hoped he thought on the pro/con ratio that the blond actually knew the other two. "Very well," he said heavily, "you may come along." He said and opened his door.

Rad grinned as he pulled High Wire with him and gestured to the door. "After you." He said with an exaggerated flourish.

High Wire snickered. " _You can stop laying it out there; I think we're in the clear now."_

The blond kept the smile from stretching across his lips as he got in after the mini-con. He looked around the cabin as the door closed on its own, and saw that on the steering wheel was the same little red symbol as well.

He glanced at High Wire, but with Optimus right there, he knew better than to start speaking to the mini-con.

* * *

Only when she and Carlos were racing across the desert, did Alexis realize she'd just pulled something Rad would do. _'I can't believe I let myself get roped into this.'_ She thought, but the insult about her and Rachel struck a nerve. As if she'd only be nice to Rachel just because she wanted a favor from her; didn't it occur to him that she _liked_ Rachel just because? There were so many things to like about her to; she was responsible, stern but fair, and she cared deeply.

Alexis sighed, feeling the wind blowing her hair around and when she looked back at Carlos, she figured that since she was already doing this, she might as well give it her all. "Hey! I hope you got something nice to say when I win!"

Carlos scoffed, his jacket flapping from the wind passing over him. "You actually gotta _win_ first, and we ain't out yet, right Grindor?" he questioned and the blue mini-con beeped before it started to pick up speed.

Alexis looked down at Sureshock. "Can't you go any faster? They're gaining on me."

When Sureshock replied, it sounded incredibly offended. _"Can't you say 'please'? I know this was just something recklessly spur of the moment, but that's no reason for you to be so rude to me."_

Alexis pursed her lips. "Fine, _please_ go faster."

" _Yes, thank you for your clearly not-meaning-it apology."_ Sureshock retorted snootily, and Alexis vaguely wondered if this was how her friends felt talking to _her_.

She shook her head as Sureshock sped up. _'No, we're nothing alike-this is an alien robot and I'm a human.'_ She thought, smirking as she found that the cliff side was nearing fast. "Eat my dust, Carlos!" she shouted back at him, but her eyes widened as Sureshock only sped up. "What are you doing? You're gonna make us crash!"

 _"You said that the cliff was your race end, so that's where we are going to go."_ Sureshock replied calmly.

"This is crazy." Alexis said, glancing back at the second set of beeps. Her eyes widened incredulously as Carlos ducked down to tightly grip the front of the skateboard without a word. _'How can he trust it so easily? Am I the only one who has any sense left?'_ She tightened her grip on the handle bars, and ducked down as Sureshock reached the cliff and started going _up_.

It was a terrifying feeling to defy gravity, and she felt her stomach drop as she was just waiting for the moment when Sureshock was going to fall. Taking a chance, Alexis glanced down, finding that Carlos was grinning as he hung onto Grindor and she couldn't believe he was actually having _fun_ in such a precarious situation. _'Doesn't he realize how dangerous this is?'_

When they reached the top, Alexis screamed, hearing Carlo's echoing yell as she amended her previous thought to just how dangerous things _got_. For at the top of the cliff waiting for them was freaking _Megatron_.

"Get us out of here!" she yelled and she heard Carlos cry something along the same lines.

Megatron reached down to snatch them up, but Sureshock and Grindor both took a hard left that had the children clutching at the mini-cons as they braced for a detour going back _down_ the cliff side. The robot roared, and a shadow fell over them as Megatron jumped from the cliff to the ground below.

The robot scowled down at them, having landed just in front of them to block their path. "You pathetic organics will hand over those mini-cons _now_." his eyes narrowed threateningly as the small group found themselves being blocked off by three other robots that Alexis recognized with frightening clarity of the previous day, that all took pointed position around the cliff face in making sure the children and the mini-cons couldn't slip by, after spontaneously warping into view.

Already Alexis could feel the terror Rachel must have felt being confronted by them.

Carlos gulped, nudging Alexis as he caught sight of a pale blue robot that looked like the helicopter from yesterday. "I think that's the one who blew up Rachel's car." He whispered, and Alexis grimaced.

Megatron stepped forward, his expression growing steadily more impatient as his shoulder cannon began charging up. "I will not repeat myself; hand over the mini-cons or suffer the consequences."

"Hmm, anybody else getting the feeling that we've done this before?" The helicopter asked, his tone confused.

Megatron glanced over at the robot as the other two kept their optics trained onto the small, cornered group. "What are you blubbering on about now? I will still melt you into scrap if you do not shut your mouth!" he shouted and the pale blue robot flinched back as he nodded deferentially.

As much as Alexis didn't want to think about yesterday, it was not hard to miss that things _did_ feel incredibly familiar-and reversed. She tensed when between the robots, she could see three vehicles beginning to clear the distance between them. "Do-"

 _"I see them, say something to distract them."_ Sureshock replied.

At this point, Alexis had already been as reckless as her friends on a good day, so why not throw in another stunt? "Hey, Megatron!" she yelled and the purple bot looked down at her. "How's it feel to know that yesterday you were held off by a puny organic?"

Carlos gasped incredulously as Megatron scowled deeply. "Have you lost your mind? And you think _I'm_ irresponsible?"

As the cannon charged ominously bright, Alexis began to re-evaluate her mental state as well. "You insolent little insect!" Megatron shouted. "No one speaks to me like that!"

Alexis felt Sureshock tense as the semi was soon within a hair-breath of them. "Looks like I just did!" she retorted, and she felt her heart race as the cannon seemed to have reached its peak.

The blast went off just as the red and blue semi-truck rammed into Megatron's back. The shot went wide and it hit the cliff above the assorted group of mini-cons and children. Alexis looked up as she heard the crumbling sound of rocks and screamed as parts of the cliff broke off to rain down on them. Was this it? Were they going to-

"Hang on, kids!" A voice yelled as a shadow fell over both her and Carlos. Alexis' eyes widened as Hot Shot dove over them, landing in a crouch with his body shielding them from the falling debris. Alexis winced in sympathy at the sound of the boulders clinking off his back, but he just grinned at them like it was no big deal. "I didn't think we'd be all be meeting up like this again."

"Autobots!" Megatron snarled as he began to rise back to his feet, but a quick U-turn from the semi had the attached trailer swinging like a bat and hit the purple robot, sending him crashing into the helicopter and jet.

The red and beige Decepticon rushed over to the dog pile of robots on the ground. "Megatron sir, are you alright?" he tried to reach down to help the purple robot up, who only scowled again and slapped the hand away.

"What are you doing?" he growled. "Do not just stand there while the Autobots continue to function-shoot them!"

As Red Alert rushed over to help Hot Shot, Optimus opened his door, and both High Wire and Rad stumbled out of the cabin before he transformed. The red and blue Autobot surged forward just as the beige robot turned around, and Optimus grabbed a hold of him by the shoulders and twisted his upper body to fling him several feet away with him crashing into the ground. The force of impact had the ground shaking, and Alexis looked at the cliff for any more precariously loose rocks.

"Rad, I know you said you'd catch up, but don't you think this is just a bit much?" Carlos asked.

The blond smiled slightly. "What can I say? Optimus sure knows how to make an entrance." His smile dropped and he shooed his friends away from the cliff. "But come on, we gotta find a better take place to take cover."

"And be sure to remain out of sight." Red Alert advised as the children and the mini-cons all made their way around the hill.

Alexis sure didn't want to be around if they started to fight, that was for sure.

* * *

If it wasn't so inappropriate, Hot Shot would have laughed at the sight of the 'great and mighty' Megatron lying on a pile of his goons, but his back was dented and he was pretty sure it would hurt _to_ even laugh.

Hot Shot jerked back from Red Alert as the medic tried to assess the damage of the rocks hitting his plating. "You can check later."

Red Alert's lip components pressed into a tight line. "Stop being so stubborn."

"Well stop being so-so _you!_ " Hot Shot snapped back.

"Eloquent as always." Red Alert said dryly. Hot Shot scowled at him, but any remark he had was cut off by Megatron's maniacal laughter, his red optics focused on him and Red Alert with disdainful amusement despite how the Autobot leader had a blaster pointed at him.

"This is your elite team, Optimus?" Megatron asked mockingly. "They bicker like sparklings." He added scornfully and Optimus narrowed his optics.

"Sir," Cyclonus said weakly, "you're crushing my rotor."

Megatron shot the 'copter a nasty glare. "How dare you speak while I am taunting my nemesis!" he snarled and Cyclonus cringed, while at the bottom of the pile Starscream grumbled something nondescript under his breath, but Megatron turned his glare on him as well. "Quiet you!" he shouted before he looked back up at Optimus, who seemed almost amused by the exchange.

Megatron scowled. "Don't think you've won, I still have a trick up my servo." He smirked and tapped the white attachment to his chassis that had been previously dismissed. "You remember Leader-1, don't you?"

Optimus reeled back, his optics widening a faction as a large cannon activated at the other mech's waist- and fired. The shot narrowly missed the red and blue mech, but as it careened towards Hot Shot and Red Alert, the latter grabbed the former by his waist and dove out of the way, allowing the blast to hit the cliff where they had previously been standing. "Hot Shot, Red Alert!"

"We're okay, sir!" Hot Shot assured him even as Megatron laughed maniacally once more.

"Now you see the awesome might of my mini-con once again!" he shouted and Optimus fell back as the other mech rose to his pedes. His laughter was abruptly cut off as his cannon charged up and fired another shot, but now that Megatron was standing, the full force of the blast had him falling back down onto the flyers.

Perhaps despite himself, Optimus chuckled. "Yes, _now_ I remember how well you handled your cannon. After all this time you still have performance issues I see."

Megatron snarled as he slammed his fist down on what looked to be Starscream's kneecap. "You two fools stop lying around and help me!"

"I think you just damaged my engine." Starscream wheezed, but groaned as Megatron slammed down on it again.

"No excuses!" he growled and pulled the other two mechs up with him to provide support. When Megatron once more fired off his cannon, he remained stabilized due to the shock absorption of the two mechs holding him in place.

Hot Shot looked on in concern as Optimus continued to dodge the blasts aimed his way, while only managing to fire back when the cannon recharged. The yellow mech shoved Red Alert off of him and struggled to pull himself back up. "We have to help him!"

"Stay down; you're only making your injury worse by moving." Red Alert retorted.

Hot Shot scowled, but his optic caught sight of a green panel buried in the crater the first cannon shot had made. He grinned, and didn't let the servo grabbing his arm or the ache in his back stop him as he dropped in front of the rubble and began to dig out the mini-con panel, pausing only briefly as another storage plate was revealed.

"What do you think you're-"

" _Look!_ " Hot Shot yelled as he grabbed the plates and shoved them in front of Red Alert's visor. "Now we can help him!" he said as the panels began to glow. Where the panels once were, two mini-cons now stood precariously in Hot Shot's servos. "Pick one and let's get out there!"

"No." Red Alert said curtly and put a digit to the communicator on the side of his helm. "Optimus, Hot Shot is injured and we have acquired new mini-cons, I suggest a tactical retreat."

" _What?!"_ Hot Shot shouted indignantly. He held both mini-cons to his chest with one arm as he put the other servo to his helm. "No, sir, we can still drive the Decepticons back. I can still fight-"

 _"No,"_ Optimus said over the comm. system, his tone unwaveringly firm, _"we have what we came for and that's all that matters. Red Alert, carry the children and bridge us back to base."_

Hot Shot couldn't believe that this was happening. His grip tightened on the mini-cons, who beeped in distress. His audio felt fuzzy, as though static was being picked up and things seemed to be moving slower and slower. Optimus' dodges, the shots being fired from Megatron's cannon, the children running out into the open when they were called.

The yellow mech felt the feel of the warp drive activating, and he could hear only one word being screamed at them.

 _"COWARDS!_ "

If the warp didn't make him sick, that would have done it.

* * *

"How _dare_ they treat me like this! What a cowardly thing to do- _running away_." Megatron spat as he stormed around the desert. His mutterings were low and manic as he began cursing the Autobots and Optimus Prime in general.

While Cyclonus could cop to not being very bright, even _he_ knew that standing so close to Megatron when he got like this was not going to be good for one's health. So while both Demolishor and Starscream stood around waiting to be used as a punching bag the 'copter strayed to overlook the destruction caused by the all too abruptly ended firefight.

He scowled as he saw that there wasn't as much damage to the hunk of rock as he thought; he kicked a stray boulder and it collided with a loose part of the dirt mound. Cyclonus grinned as an even bigger landslide rained down, but it slowly faded as he saw two glints of green in the soil.

The 'copter mech crouched down to brush away the dirt, and it took a moment for it to fully register just _what_ he'd found. By the time it had, he'd already picked up one of the panels and blinked as it activated. In a shower of different colored lights, a mini-con stood before him.

He stared at it, and it stared back.

Gradually, Cyclonus grinned as he picked the other panel up and wrapped one servo around the mini-con and stood back up. He ignored the protesting beeps and sprinted back to where the rest of the Decepticons were standing. "Look what I found!" he shouted, and Megatron shot him a glare for interrupting his tirade, which only lasted briefly when he caught sight of the green panel that the mech held up triumphantly. _"And_ , I got my very own mini-con!" Cyclonus added as he held up the other servo to show the mini-con off, which beeped sullenly at the manhandling.

That nasty expression once more came over Megatron's faceplate before it smoothed out to something more appeased. "At least _someone_ is doing something productive."

Starscream scoffed as he crossed his arms. "He had to; you would have scrapped him otherwise."

Megatron scowled at the jet. "When will you learn that no one cares what you think, Starscream?" he asked coldly. "Just for your insolence, you shall retrieve your _own_ mini-con. Perhaps that will teach you some respect." He added and Starscream sneered as he looked away.

"Wait, does that mean _I_ can have the other mini-con, sir?" Demolishor questioned. Megatron stared at him for a long moment, his lips tightening. When the moment passed, he nodded sharply. Demolishor's expression lit up. "Thank you, sir! You won't regret this, I promise!"

"I'd better not." Megatron grumbled. "Now, scout out the area for any other strays and then it's back to base."

* * *

Though Rad knew he wasn't the one being stared down, he felt supremely guilty all the same. It was hard not to quiver under the 'I'm extremely disappointed in you' look that Optimus was giving High Wire, which caused the blue mini-con to clasp his hands together nervously as he fidgeted. The Autobot leader hadn't even said anything yet, but the power of that stare was something else. Rad could swear he saw even Carlos and Alexis twitching in his periphery.

Behind Optimus, there was a closed door which Red Alert had carried Hot Shot into and it hadn't been opened since. Rad didn't know how badly damaged the yellow bot was, but the fact he'd appeared in the base actually passed out and dropped like a rock terrified him. If that could happen to one of the larger robots, just how much damage could be done to a mini-con? The two Hot Shot had carried seemed more nonplussed about being rough handled, but the fact they could have possibly still been hurt by the fall was worrying.

The Autobot leader let out a vent that sounded like a sigh. "High Wire, I would ask what you were thinking, but given that I can't _understand_ you, I feel the reprimand should come from someone who _could._ " He said, and High Wire stiffened. Rad didn't understand the reaction until Optimus turned to _him_. "In Red Alert's preparations of refurbishing this ship, he came to sync up with your global communications; tell me, what is the comm. number that I may use to contact Rachel Becker?"

Rad's eyes widened, and now both Carlos and Alexis looked just as terrified. He couldn't blame their reactions, as anyone who'd been babysat by her knew enough she didn't take disobedience that well. Briefly he considered how one more lie wouldn't matter, but that was too obvious. With no other choice available, he reluctantly rattled off the number.

Optimus nodded as he walked over to the computer and began to type in the numbers, and Rad winced when a sleepy voice answered him. "I am sorry to bother you, but I have the children here. High Wire snuck out of the base and duped them into linking with two other mini-cons he had."

In an instant, Rachel's voice went from sleepy and disinterested, to- " _What. Did. You. Just. Say?"_ -very angry. _"High Wire,"_ she said coldly, _"where are you?"_

High Wire fidgeted and made his way over to the computer. _"I'm here."_ He said meekly.

" _Just what were you thinking? Don't you have any idea how dangerous your stunt was? You could not only have gotten yourself killed, but you dragged Rad, Carlos and Alexis into this as well."_ Rachel was really starting to get worked up, and there was no word otherwise to contradict her from High Wire. _"If I could, I'd so ground you. As it is, Optimus, you can punish him as you see fit."_

"Very well." Optimus agreed. "You need not worry about the children, for I will be bringing them back into town shortly."

 _"Alright."_ Rachel said, her voice now soft and tired. _"Oh, and Rad, I'll be dealing with_ you _when you're back."_

Rad shrank into himself, his tone meek and submissive. "Okay."

The line on the computer went dead, and Optimus cut the line before glancing down at the three mini-cons. "Grindor, Sureshock, as you two are not aware of how things are done-I will leave you with a warning this time, but make no mistake. Disobedience will not be tolerated, am I understood?" Both Carlos and Alexis nodded when the two mini-cons relayed their answers. "Now, as for you High Wire; you will be held in isolation until I return." He walked over to an empty storage space, and the blue and gray mini-con beeped sadly as he walked into the room and Optimus closed it afterwards.

"Before we go," Rad said abruptly, "can I go speak to Hot Shot?"

Optimus stared down at him for a moment, but nodded slightly. "Only if Red Alert clears it."

Rad nodded back and walked into the room. He bit his lip as he saw Hot Shot was lying on a slab, his back hooked up to several machines, none of which he could even guess at what they did, but that it probably wasn't comfortable. Red Alert stepped in front of Rad, blocking his view of Hot Shot.

"Yes?"

"Um, could I speak to Hot Shot? If-uh, that's alright and all." Rad said nervously.

Red Alert was silent for a long moment, but gave a curt nod. "Don't take too long, Hot Shot needs rest. You have until I get back from conferring with Optimus about his status." He said as he made his way to the door.

"Sure, yeah." Rad replied absently as he raced over to the yellow bot, whose eyes weakly opened enough to peer down at him.

"Hey, do I know you?"

"Uh, not really, but you saved my friends today." Rad replied. He smiled sincerely. "That was really brave."

Hot Shot chuckled softly. "That's not what Red Alert's been telling me. He thinks I should have had an actual plan instead of just jumping in." he said and shifted slightly. "He's the biggest stick in the mud I know, but he's a real good medic." He paused and grimaced. "Don't tell him I said that though."

Rad nodded. "I won't." he promised. "I guess I'll just be going then and let you get back to sleep." He added, and Hot Shot smiled sleepily before his eyes closed once more and Rad narrowed his own. "Hot Shot?" he whispered, but when the robot didn't react, Rad pulled out The Windy card from his pocket. "Please, can you get Create to come with me?"

Windy floated out of Rad's hands and up to Hot Shot's shoulder. The area glowed briefly as another pink card floated out, but didn't move any further as Windy's card let out soft chiming ripples of blue light. Create caused its own blue ripples, but didn't move. Windy floated down and circled Rad before moving up towards the other card, letting out another round of chimes. Rad felt the oddest sensation of being stared at, and he met Create's 'gaze' head on. The card wavered in the air, but turned and floated back into Hot Shot's shoulder. Windy seemed to deflate with how she waffled in the air back towards Rad, and he echoed her sentiments with a heavy sigh.

"Looks like I'm gonna have to convince Create to come back another way then." He muttered as he put Windy back into his pocket. How was he gonna get Create to leave Hot Shot? He didn't like how Kero's observation of Create being spiteful seemed to be true.

For now, Rad decided he would need to focus on just getting the one already at large back.

* * *

As bad as Rad imagined how his talk with Rachel was going to go, the fact she was more upset than angry surprised him. She had been sitting stonily at the kitchenette table when he got back, crutches leaning against the wooden surface and she pointed at the chair across from him. He sat down without a word as she seemed to be preparing herself to speak.

"Why didn't you tell me that High Wire came back?" she asked bluntly. "And don't give me an excuse about not knowing he was with you. Your bike was still here when I got back. So what I want to know is why you felt the need to keep this from me knowing how I felt about this whole situation."

Rad looked down at the surface, the dim glow of the sunset against the table lightening it to a softer shade of brown. He didn't even know how to start with explaining his behavior, but he did know one thing with certainty. "I couldn't just let High Wire's friends be controlled; he wanted them to as free as possible."

"Why didn't you just link with them yourself?"

"It's cause I can't." Rad replied. "High Wire couldn't explain it, just that for some reason I'm _already_ linked with the mini-cons but they needed another to block their signals, and I knew how you'd react if I came and told you this." He paused and muttered, "or at least I thought I did."

Rachel narrowed her eyes. "If you're referring to the fact I'm currently being calm and rational-don't think I'm _not_ angry with you. I just spent the last twenty minutes channeling that rage into how I should punish you." She explained evenly.

Rad bit his lip nervously. "And what did you decide exactly?"

"I thought of sending you to my parents," Rachel said, and Rad stiffened, "but then I realized you were my responsibility and I wasn't going to just shove you off when you decided to act out." She added, and breathed in deeply. "From now until Friday, you're grounded. You come straight home from school-no friends, no calling your friends, no TV and no going out."

Though he knew he deserved so much more than just this, Rad felt a flare of indignation rise within him. Why was his punishment so severe and High Wire just got a time-out? _'It's because he only did it once.'_ He thought bitterly while his mind went back to the incident in the cave. Knowing what he was going to do once Rachel went to bed, Rad didn't have to stir up much guilt in his reply of: "I understand."

Rachel stony expression softened. "I don't like punishing you, but lying and sneaking behind my back are some bad habits to get into. I know you're mad at me for this, but know that I only do this because I love you." She explained. Getting to her feet, she jerked her head toward the freezer portion of the refrigerator. "My mom came by today after my afternoon classes were finished; once she was done yelling and worrying at me, she said that my dad made enough soup to last the week. Just thaw a container out and you can eat that for supper; I need to go lie down again."

Rad nodded. He waited until Rachel was back in her room before he made his way to his own. Closing the door softly behind him, Rad looked around the interior for any sign of Kero. "Kero, where are you?" he whispered.

There was a rustling from inside of his nightstand drawer, and the opening slid out enough for a large plush head to poke up through. "Hey, Rad, how did things go with the mecha and his buddies?" Rad sighed, and sat down on the bed before he relayed how things had played out. When he got to the part about Create, Kero frowned deeply. "This isn't good. Create's probably still feeling rejected and is likely staying away out of passive-aggressiveness. You have to find a way to get Create back by trying to reason with it yourself; there's no telling when that Hot Shot fellow might try and see just what he has."

"I know that, but not only am I grounded, I'm pretty sure Optimus would call Rachel the second I get to their base." Rad said frowning. "Let's focus on Sweet for now; is there anything I should know about her that might help me capture her?"

"Well," Kero rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "Sweet doesn't like salt, so if you find a way to use it to trap her it'll really help."

"I guess you would know a lot about their weaknesses if you've done this before." Rad said in realization.

"Just be careful though." Kero warned him gravely. "I'm not the only one who's done this all before; one method used to capture the cards might not work again this time around."

"Don't worry, I'll be careful." Rad assured him. He got up and made his way over to the window, staring up at the darkened sky. "Okay, wish me luck." Rad opened his closet and pulled on a dark hoodie and made sure both his key and Windy were secure before he quietly opened the door, but a small hand on his shoulder stopped him. The blond looked at Kero's serious expression. "What is it?"

"At least until I know you _can_ be safe, I'm coming with you tonight-I thought I made that clear earlier?"

"No offence, but what exactly can you do if we get into trouble?" Rad asked skeptically.

Kero's cheeks puffed out. "I may not look like much right now, but I can still be helpful." He shooed him out of the room. "Now let's get going."

Rad nodded as he crept over to Rachel's door and put his ear to it. He could hear light breathing from inside, and he began to make his way to the front door. Rad quietly unlocked it and pulled his bicycle out with him, Kero clinging to his shoulder as they got out. _'I hope Ray doesn't wake up any time soon.'_ Rad thought worryingly and locked the door with the spare key.

It didn't take them long to be out of the apartment and riding down the sidewalk towards Rhona's Bakery, and when they were just a block away, Rad pulled over and checked the immediate area around him before taking the key off from around his neck and held it out before him. "Key of the star with powers burning bright," he chanted and a golden circle appeared underneath him, "reveal the staff and shine your light- _release!"_

The key expanded into its staff form, and Rad looked at Kero as he clutched it securely between the handlebars of his bike. "Hey, I've been meaning to ask you: just how is that these spells can come to me so easily?"

"It's kinda hard to explain." Kero rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess you could say that it's like training wheels-your magic is helping you with the spells for now until you get better at it and don't need to be nudged in a certain direction."

"So is me sensing these Sakura Cards _also_ a training wheel?" Rad asked sardonically.

Kero smiled. "Nope, that's just part of being a Cardcaptor."

Rad really wanted to ask just who else had been in his position, but he had something bigger to deal with. So pushing the burning curiosity to the back of his mind, he pulled the bike up onto the sidewalk of the shop. He peered into the dark inside, moonlight lighting up the area enough for Rad to spot Sweet sleeping in an empty spot on the candy rack. "We have to get in through the back; going in through the front will let her know we're here." He whispered.

Kero nodded and they scurried around to the side of the bakery, where Rad began to look around for a side door. He bit his lip as he tested how much space was in between the small crack at the bottom of the door.

"Okay," he said and pulled Windy out. He tossed the card into the air, and when he pointed the star wand at her, the tiny wings grew as they glowed softly and he kept his voice low, "slip under the door and find a way to unlock it-Windy."

From the card, Windy's form sprung forth and she thinned out enough until she was able to slip in through the opening, strands of yellow and green wind following after her. Rad waited with baited breath as he could hear the soft breeze inside swirling around, and a soft 'clink' sound had him looking at the crack under the door to spy a key being blown out, Windy's card form floating out as well.

"Thank you." Rad said softly as he pocketed Windy and unlocked the door. He and Kero shared a smile as they entered through the kitchen door, and Rad went about searching through the cupboards for any salt, and Kero took flight to search the other side.

"Rad, over here." Kero called quietly and the blond found the guardian pointing at a cupboard of stew pots. "You can use one of these to keep Sweet in one spot long enough to seal her."

"Got it." Rad nodded. He paused as he saw a broom lying next to a mop. "And I can use this to make sure Sweet can't get in here." He added and picked up both the broom and a pot. "Now, where would the salt be…" his eyes trailed over to a cabinet that was marked with different labels and searched them until he found the one marked 'salt' and saw it still had half of a bag left.

"Now let's go." Kero said, his eyes hard and determined. Rad's expression mirrored his as he readied himself.

"Yeah." He whispered and with one peer into the shop part of the building to make sure Sweet was still asleep, Rad and Kero ducked inside and the blond quietly put the broom into the handle of the door. He opened the bag and handed Kero a handful of salt. "Can you go up to her and sprinkler her with this? I want her weak enough so she can't try and turn the pot into a pastry."

Kero nodded and floated over the counter to the snoozing spirit. He paused when Sweet turned over, his small form tensing, but relaxed when she didn't wake. Kero continued towards her, and once he was floating above her, the guardian gradually sprinkled the card with the salt.

Sweet turned abruptly, her eyes wide and indignant. She swiped at Kero with her wand and he ducked back quickly. She caught sight of Rad and the wand in his hand, before her expression became surprised.

"Now, Rad!"

The blond dove under the board that separated the back of the counter with the front of the shop, and he rose the pot above him. Sweet, while looking weakened, feinted to the right as she flew towards the back door, only to reel back at the sight of the broom. Rad grunted as he turned back around and slid under the barrier, the pot raised yet again.

Much like before, Sweet ducked out of the way and shot into the air. She stuck her tongue out at Rad, but pulled back when Kero flew up at her. His arms were outstretched, but when Sweet feinted once more and Kero flew past her, he twisted around and tossed the remaining salt at her.

When Sweet squeaked and began to toss and turn as she tried to dust the salt off of her, Rad took his chance when the wand slipped through her fingers. With her back turned, Sweet didn't see the pot until it was surrounding her. Rad backed off and let Kero hold the pot down as tiny, frantic knocks began to ring out inside of it.

Rad spun the star wand as the golden circle appeared underneath him. "I command you to return to your power confine- Sakura Card!" he shouted and when the wand was aimed at the bucket, the wings on the pink circle glowed, enlarging as at the top of the ornament a glowing card formed. Seeps of pink slid out underneath the bucket until the knocking stopped altogether, and the card floated over to Rad.

The card was like the others with its pink background and darker shaded borders, while in the center of it Sweet was facing forward with her hands clasped over her skirt and with the candy-striped wand in her grasp, with the starburst pattern on her forehead shaded the same color of orange that she'd had when unsealed but her eyes were closed.

Rad felt a smile stretch across his lips, and he whooped as he pumped his fist into the air. "I did it, I did it! I can't believe I finally got something done!" Kero coughed, hands on his hips. Rad's smile turned nervous. "Um, yeah, _we_ did it, but still, right?"

Kero's annoyed expression softened. "It's okay; I'm just messing with you." He teased, but paused as he took in the rest of the shop. "Uh oh."

Rad furrowed his brow, but grimaced when he saw the salt bag had fallen over. He didn't know when, but it likely happened on the dive to follow Sweet to the kitchen door. "I guess I'd better get sweeping." He said, but continued with a mutter of: "There goes my stealth plan."

"We'll, I'll let you get to it-" Kero's attempt to sneak away was foiled when Rad grabbed him by one of the ears.

"Oh no you don't. You're gonna help me, we did this together, _right?"_ he asked meaningfully.

Kero slumped his shoulders. "Well, at least we got Sweet."

Rad let go of Kero as he stared down at the card, smiling as he put Sweet into his pocket next to Windy. "Yeah, we got her."


	8. Chapter 7: Bubble Trouble

**Chapter 7: Bubble Trouble**

 _(Alternative Title: Where There's A Lot Of Sitting And Talking)_

* * *

He had just wanted to help. He just wanted to help so badly.

Being captured and detained, feeling his bones begin to crack-this wasn't supposed to be a part of it. He just wanted to try and do whatever he could. He didn't know that this would happen, that he could be so stupid to get caught so easily.

He gritted his teeth as he felt a rib crack, and heard someone calling his name. The pain flared intensely, and even if this was his fault-he could never regret linking with High Wire. His chest tightened, a strangling hold enveloped his heart, and he felt his life slipping away.

He was…this wasn't supposed to happen. Distantly, he thought he could hear someone calling his name again.

" _Rad!"_

Gasping, Rachel shot upright, her brow sweaty and her eyes pricking with tears as her throat constricted. She'd had nightmares before, but nothing so strong had ever come over her-not like this. The sensations of being crushed in a giant grip, the feeling of bones breaking, and the moment the rib pierced the heart all felt distressingly real.

Was this her mind trying to tell her something? Was it guilt? Rachel saw how Rad tried to act happy since his grounding two days ago, but she'd catch him looking wistfully at his bike, or expecting someone to speak when there wouldn't be any need too. Did he and High Wire have such a bond already that Rad was suffering from the same separation anxiety he'd had when his parents left, or was this bond _because_ of his pre-existing anxiousness? Would it even be wise to entertain the idea of letting Rad see High Wire since doing so would be so monumentally stupid?

All Rachel really knew in her terrified state of mind was that keeping Rad safe was the top responsibility she had. So grasping at her cell phone lying on the nightstand, she started to search through the caller's from Monday. Beneath the sound of the ringing, Rachel strained to hear the sound of Rad's snoring to soothe her racing heart.

Even when he drove her crazy, when he acted up or annoyed her, Rachel could sympathize with him to her very core. He was more than her cousin, he was like her little brother, and as such it was her job to make sure he remained happy and healthy. While she didn't much care for this idea, she knew it would provide both requirements.

As the other line was answered, Rachel braced herself. "Optimus, we need to talk."

* * *

Rad had tried to be his usual self, but it was hard too when all he could think about for the past two days was High Wire, Create, and the remaining unsealed cards out in the world. How was he supposed to find them? He wasn't some jet setter who could up and go at a whim, nor did he have any money to _do_ such a thing. Kero tried to assure him that most of the cards wouldn't go very far in their anger, but he didn't put much stock into it simply because the guardian didn't seem to believe his own words either.

As he caught up with his friends in the hall of Lincoln Elementary, Rad blinked when he saw a pink bubble floating across the foyer. "Uh, do you see that bubble too or am I going crazy?"

Alexis blinked as well while she stared after the round, floating object. "No, I see it too." She replied, and as she spoke, even more bubbles began to pour into the hall from the air vents. "I wonder if something happened."

Carlos crossed his arms. "What could have happened? It's just a bunch of bubbles; nothing to get worried about."

"Actually," a young, assertive voice said from behind Rad, "a number of things could likely have made the bubbles appear. Busted water main, school prank-take your pick." The blond twisted around, and saw a brown-haired girl standing just in front of the doors with a self-assured look on her face.

Carlos scowled as he looked away, but Alexis beamed as she rushed up to the girl. "Kelly!" she called and the two girls hugged. "Why didn't you call when your plane landed? You had me so worried!"

Kelly rubbed the back of her head. "Well, to be honest we got here yesterday, but spent most of it sleeping to work off the jet lag." She pulled out an envelope from her kitty-cat head-shaped backpack. "But I brought pictures! We can look at them at recess; how does that sound?"

Alexis narrowed her eyes, but smiled and shrugged it off. "Sure, no harm done."

"What? Are you kidding me? If I said that you'd have totally railed on me!" Carlos yelled.

Alexis glowered at him. "That's because you're not my cousin. She's family, so she's allowed some slack." She ignored the scowl Carlos sent her as she put her arm around Kelly. "So, how are your parents?"

"They're good, they said we're gonna come over to your house for supper next Monday and to give you a heads up." Kelly replied. When she and Alexis walked past Rad, Kelly paused as she twisted to gaze back up at him. Rad reeled away at the intense look Kelly gave him, her brows furrowed and her mouth pulled down into a confused frown. "You seem…different. Did you cut your hair or something?"

Rad rubbed the back of his neck. "Nope, nothing's different about me. Maybe you're the one who changed." He shrugged, but Kelly's expression didn't soften.

"No, I swear there's something off about you." Kelly leaned forward, and Rad pulled back further.

Alexis looked between them both and pulled Kelly with her down the hall. "Come on, stop being so strange."

Kelly sighed as she looked away. "Yeah, it's probably nothing."

Carlos nudged Rad in the arm. "That girl is super odd, isn't she? What do you think is up with the weird attention?"

Rad shrugged. "Beats me." He replied. He glanced down at the bubbles that the vents spewed out, which all floated along the floor. "You think we'll still have class today?"

"Yeah, it's not like they're gonna let a couple of bubbles stop them from teaching us." Carlos grimaced.

Rad chuckled at his friend's sullenness, but as they reached their homeroom, the blond blinked as inside the room-there was nothing but a sea of bubbles. "Um…well, this is odd." He said and looked across the hall at the group of students that were peering inside at the mass of pink that filled their class as well. His eyes strayed around the hall, seeing another cluster of students that appeared more interested in the bulletin board asking for volunteers at the science carnival next weekend than the bubbles. He rolled his eyes and shook his head.

 _"Attention students, this is your vice-principal speaking."_ A voice over the intercom said. _"Due to an unforeseen occurrence, all classes will be suspended until the problem is fixed. For now, make your way to the football field outside."_

"All right!" Carlos pumped his fist into the air. "Talk about a lucky break." He added and bumped his elbow against Rad's.

The blond tried to return the grin his friend had, but it came out more like a grimace. School had been his only distraction from not having High Wire around anymore, and now he was going to be spending a whole day of doing who-knows-what. Why couldn't a pipe have burst some other time?

Abruptly, Rad froze as he felt the sensation of soap moving along his skin, the strong scent of anti-septic filling his nose. He patted himself down, but couldn't feel any wet spots to indicate that the bubbles had popped on or near him.

It only took a second to realize just what this meant. ' _Thank you distraction.'_ Rad thought as he felt a genuine smile curl his lips. "We'd better head out-they're probably still going to do attendance or something."

"That would so be like them." Carlos grumbled.

"Well, they're teachers-that's kinda their job." Rad replied. Both he and Carlos made their way out of the school and into the rapidly crowding yard. Grades from one to three were huddling in little groups by their teachers, while the older students were being herded into their own class circles. When Rad's homeroom teacher began gesturing for their class to get into a line, both he and Carlos rallied behind Alexis.

She waved to Kelly, who was with her fourth grade class before looking at her two friends. "You think they're going to clear out the problem so we can get back inside?"

"Are you crazy? Any time out of class is good time." Carlos retorted.

Alexis glared at him, but before she could retort, their teacher called for their attention. "Okay kids, us and the other sixth grade class are going to be having a basketball game while the administrators all try and get to the bottom of what is going on. So make your way to the basketball court in an orderly fashion."

As the group started to move, Rad noticed that one of the windows in the second level of the school had been opened, and streams of bubbles were seeping out. Just how bad was this? Did the _entire_ school get hit with it? _'It would explain why all the students are outside instead of moving them to classrooms that don't have any of these bubbles in them.'_

Even if this was the work of a Sakura Card, Rad wasn't sure which one it could be; was it aggressive, or gentle? Kero stressed how even gentle ones caused trouble, and Sweet had been proof of that. He was glad Ms. Jay decided to give the shop another try after the Sakura Card had been sealed away, and customers were slowly returning now that her 'bad batches' were all gone.

"Hey Rad!" The blond felt his temper rise as he looked over his shoulder and found Billy smirking at him. "I hope your hoop skills aren't as bad as your classroom ones-wouldn't want you to fall asleep while you're on the court."

Rad's lip curled back into a scowl. "Why you-" he was prevented from charging after the other boy when their teacher gave them both a warning glare. He reluctantly backed off as the teacher pointed at the bleacher.

"You're benched until the next round." She stared at Billy next. "I catch you trying to start something again; it'll be a call to your parents next."

Billy paled. "Uh, right, no trouble." He promised hastily, but when the teacher turned away, he shot a glare at Rad, who returned it full force.

* * *

In all honesty, the basketball game wasn't much fun because it all had been so last minute. Rad found himself irritated and annoyed when the vice-principal called for their attention on his megaphone.

"As a solution to this problem with the maintenance has yet to be found, there is no choice but to cancel the remainder of the day. Your parents have been contacted and should be arriving shortly to pick you up. Please continue on with your activities until they arrive. That is all."

Rad grimaced at spending the rest of the day stuck in his room with nothing but his homework. Kero would probably try and help, if only to entertain himself since he was disappointed that Rad didn't have a gaming console to play with. _'Maybe I could distract him by having Sweet turn an apple into a cake.'_ He thought, but still grumbled nondescriptly to his friends as they all grouped together on the bleachers by the court, all three of them opting out of another game while Kelly ambled over to Alexis' side and swung her legs under the seat as she kept her eyes peeled on the parking lot.

"What am I supposed to do besides my homework and sleep? And doing homework is like a living nightmare." Rad groused.

Alexis huffed as she crossed her arm, but gave her cousin a side glance before replying. "You shouldn't have tried to keep secrets from Rachel; you're lucky she didn't give you an even worse punishment."

Kelly hummed in agreement, and nudged Alexis in the side. "I gotta go, there's my mom. Remember to tell your parents we'll be over on Monday." She said and Alexis nodded.

Rad watched Kelly leave with passive interest as she rushed over to a woman that looked like a much older version of her. There was something familiar about the brown-haired woman as well, but Rad couldn't place it. The twinge of envy he had when Kelly and her mother hugged was something he _was_ familiar with and he quickly glared at the pavement of the basketball court.

He had been real good with the separation anxiety because of all that was going on in the past few days, but now he was forced to see that there would be something he'd think about holed up in his room. _'I just hope Kero's in a more secret-sharing mood now to explain some other things to me.'_

"Huh?" Carlos perked up as he caught sight of something in the parking lot. "I don't believe it, what are they doing here?"

Frowning, Rad looked up-and promptly reeled back when he saw three very familiar vehicles in the parking lot. "It's the mini-cons," he whispered, "I'm gonna go check it out."

"Not alone you're not." Alexis said firmly. "You can't be trusted to not go off with them." She added and gave Carlos the same stern glare she sent Rad. The other boy looked offended, but not a moment later did he rush with Rad over to the three mini-cons.

"Yo, buddy. I thought you weren't supposed to be here?" Carlos asked.

 _"Actually, Optimus sent us to get you."_ Grindor explained.

"No way." Carlos replied. "Do you know why?"

 _"Just that there needs to be an understanding of some sort."_

Carlos frowned while Alexis crossed her arms as Sureshock gave her the same explanation. Rad though was more cautious about going this time around.

"I don't think I can make it, Rachel grounded me."

 _"Oh, I think you'll find she'll be very understanding in this case."_ High Wire replied coyly. Rad only frowned at him. " _Seriously, just trust me on this."_

"Funny how you keep saying that and we get in trouble." Rad said dryly, but still got onto the seat all the same.

"You can't really be thinking of going back to the Autobot base." Alexis said incredulously. She put her hands on her hips as Carlos jumped onto Grindor. "Am I the only one with any sense left?"

"Just the sense that you're a total drag." Carlos said snappily. "It's not like we're making you come with us or anything. Optimus says he wants to talk, then we should hear him out. He _did_ save our lives."

Alexis crossed her arms again, but sighed as she reluctantly got onto Sureshock. "Fine, but I do this under protest."

"Noted and ignored." Rad said cheerfully. He pointedly looked away when Alexis glared at him again, but began to see the positive in all of this. Hopefully he'd be able to try his hand again at getting Create on his side; Kero's explanation of 'they're not mad at _you_ ' appeared to be on its way of falling apart, but given that it was the only card so far which rejected him, he tried to be more optimistic about the others-both in the capturing of them and accepting him parts.

Now he just needed to know if he was actually dealing with a Sakura Card or not.

* * *

If he was honest, he'd almost forgotten about the card.

Hot Shot frowned as he took the rectangular shaped-card out of his shoulder compartment. He didn't much like the trouble he was in because of this, but how was he supposed to prove that he hadn't let his grief overtake him? He knew how he'd gotten too close to his subordinate, grown too attached, but he was an Autobot; he should have been able to save Wheeljack.

In war, Hot Shot understood that losses happened all the time, but the thought that his friend had died alone and in pain- thinking that he'd been abandoned-still got to him at times. Distractions helped keep his mind off the past, but that was easier to do on Cybertron during the lull of the war with Smokescreen.

Hot Shot's optics gained a sad, far-away look in them. He could still remember the last minute call…the orange form running after them…and then nothing… The yellow bot didn't want to be all gloom and doom, but it would be a miracle if he saw his friend again.

He thought his new mini-con partner Jolt would have helped him get by, but the small bot held no interest in going along with his attempts at having light-hearted fun and actively reprimanded him, reminding him of his still healing circuits. Hot Shot scowled as he put the card away; he already had Red Alert on his case about being careful, why did his mini-con have to be the same way? He was _fine_ now; his joints hardly ached and his back plating was straightening out-it was like he hadn't been injured at all!

Even Optimus though warned Hot Shot to take it easy, assigning him to help Red Alert with the maintenance that still needed repairs.

Yeah, the last two days hadn't been very fun at all.

"Hey, Hot Shot!"

The yellow mech looked down at the floor, spotting the three children that they'd rescued had arrived. He put on a cheerful smile, waving at them as the kids let the mini-cons with them transform into bi-pedal mode. "Hey yourself." He greeted airily as he leaned back from the cavern wall he'd used as support. "I'm supposed to show you the way in. Follow me, kids."

The yellow-haired male, Rad, hurried to catch up with Hot Shot. "How are you feeling? You look much better than when I spoke to you."

Hot Shot frowned lightly as he struggled to remember speaking with Rad in the med bay. The frown curved back into a smile as he shrugged. "Nothing can keep me down. In fact, I don't think I've ever felt better!"

Rad smiled back at him. "Well, that's good."

"Hot Shot, do you know why we had to come here?" Carlos questioned. "I mean, it's awesome I get to see Grindor again," he said and nudged the blue mini-con beside him, "but it's just real confusin' since he wouldn't say anything."

Hot Shot grinned. "Oh, you'll find out soon enough." He winked, and the two males grumbled under their breath but the female shifted away from the orange mini-con beside her.

The area where the dirt met metal set an interesting contrast as they entered the ship. Walls and floor were cleared of debris and spruced up in the intervening time between missions, though Hot Shot was having a heck of a time in getting Optimus to allow him to rig up a defense system. He led the kids down a right hall, and soon enough they were all entering the command room with Optimus, Red Alert and-

"Rachel?!" Rad shouted, his expression shocked. The blonde was situated up on a ramp which let her be in eye contact with the rest of the Autobots. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm the one who called this whole thing together." Rachel said dryly. She shifted on her wooden support sticks, wincing as her injured foot jostled. Hot Shot could sympathize; healing injuries were _not_ _fun._

The brown-haired female, Alexis, ran up the steps toward Rachel, stopping just short of her. She shuffled in place, her eyes roving over the older woman in concern. "Are you sure you should be out here? _How_ did you get here and why bring us here too?"

"Actually, I think it should be how did you _know_ you could bring us here?" Carlos questioned as he crossed his arms.

Rachel leaned on her crutch, expression slowly relaxing. "Carlos, the school has my cell number in case of an emergency while Rad's staying with me. When they told me about the cancellation, I got in contact with both of your and Alexis' parents and told them that I was going to let Rad have you both over for a study group. We have an hour to sort of our arrangement before you two gotta go home."

Carlos raised his brows, his expression approving. "That's pretty slick there, Rachel." While he looked pleased, Alexis frowned as she looked at her shoes.

"Wait a second," Rad piped up as he put his hands on his hips with an indignant expression on his face, "how come _you_ can get away with this and I can't?"

Rachel grinned at him. "There's no one around to punish _me_ ; I'm an adult, remember?" Rad grumbled under his breath about things not being fair.

Hot Shot caught Optimus shifting, and past him he saw Red Alert giving Rachel a disapproving frown. It was harder to tell what the red and blue bot was thinking with that mask of his, but it was _so_ like Red Alert to be a stick in the mud. 'I _think her plan's clever.'_

"Then with such a short amount of time, I believe we should proceed with the meeting." Optimus said.

Rachel nodded. "I realize that perhaps I'd been a bit too hasty in leaving High Wire here." She said, her eyes lowering to the floor. "I was so overwhelmed by everything that I failed to take into account what he wanted." She paused and seemed hesitant about continuing. "I might not like it, but we got involved the moment I pulled that panel out of the ground. As such, it was irresponsible of me to just leave High Wire with you like I was returning a toy I didn't really want." She closed her eyes, expression pinching regretfully as she gazed at the blue and gray mini-con. "I'm sorry about that." She glanced up at Optimus. "To you all."

Hot Shot wasn't surprised to find Red Alert being as serious in his curt nod, so he grinned and waved it off. "It's no problem, you were just thinking of your cousin."

Rachel smiled slightly. "Yes, I am." She coughed politely and peered up at Optimus more closely. "I know perhaps this may be unreasonable, as I certainly understand how this may seem, but I would like to take High Wire back." She nodded down at the mini-con, who was practically bouncing on his pedes. "I want Rad to be safe, and right now High Wire could keep him safer than I can." She said and looked down at herself with deprecation.

"You were admirable though in protecting High Wire from the Decepticons." Optimus countered, and Rachel smiled slightly again.

"Yeah, even though you lost, it's the fact you tried that matters." Hot Shot said cheerfully, but blinked in confusion as Rachel's expression went flat. He reeled back when High Wire raised his fist and shook it at him, beeping angrily. "What I'd say?"

"Business as usual; you didn't think before you spoke." Red Alert said dryly.

Hot Shot bristled as he glared at the mech. "Listen you-"

Optimus raised a placating hand at him. "Easy now. Give our present company; please keep your temper under control." He said before looking over at the blue Autobot. "As for you, Red Alert; do not rile Hot Shot up." He admonished, and turned his attention back to Rachel, who was now looking thoughtfully from them to the human children. "I apologize for their behavior."

"Oh, believe me; I know what it's like trying to deal with people who just don't listen." She said, and Rad stiffened as he looked away.

Optimus nodded in complete seriousness, and Hot Shot wilted a little when he realized just what they were taking about. It stung that even Optimus agreed with Megatron's insult, but it was Red Alert's fault in both cases.

"While I understand your desire to keep your charges safe, I hesitate _because_ of the Decepticons." Optimus replied.

Rachel nodded. "I know it sounds counterproductive to ask for the very thing the Decepticons are after to safeguard three human children, but hear me out." She said and took in a deep breath. "Thanks to High Wire, you can't understand the two mini-cons he brought Alexis and Carlos, nor can you understand _him_. They both can though, and I trust High Wire to protect Rad while I'm not around; plus, it's not like these mini-cons don't know where your base is, so you can still keep your own eye on them since given I don't know what they need to eat after all.

"And while we may not seem like much, we can also provide a home field advantage in your search for the mini-cons; the Internet's useful and all, but it can be very confusing or misleading if you don't know just what you're looking at." She smiled serenely, though there was a tightness at the corners of her mouth, and the kids were trying to appear nonchalant but failing miserably.

Optimus mulled it over thoughtfully, and he glanced at both Hot Shot and Red Alert. "Men, what do you think of Rachel's proposal?"

"There are many variables in which things could end disastrously." Red Alert said bluntly, and Rachel winced. "I am hesitant to agree, but should you allow this through, I will do what I can to make better preparations to avoid any unpleasant costs."

Hot Shot huffed as he saw the nervous expressions pass over the kids' faces. "Come on, Red Alert, don't freak them out." He admonished before grinning at the children. "I'm all for it though, I think it'd be great to have some insider knowledge."

"I am glad to see you're so enthusiastic about this, Hot Shot. You'll still be scouting until Red Alert has cleared you for missions after all." Optimus said firmly, and the yellow mech gaped at him.

"I'm fine though, I…" Hot Shot trailed off when Optimus gazed at him sternly, and he balked under the stare. "I understand, sir."

Optimus nodded. "This will be good for you, Hot Shot; you will also be charged with keeping updates about any Decepticon activity." He ordered and the yellow mech nodded.

Rad stepped forward nervously. "So does this mean we _can_ take the mini-cons back with us?"

Optimus was silent for a long time, and Hot Shot could guess he was deciding whether or not this was a good idea. Eventually, he nodded. "Yes, that is correct." He gazed at the older blonde. "Rachel, Hot Shot will be your escort back to town."

"Got it." Rachel said and made her way carefully back down to the bottom floor.

"Is it just me, or does Hot Shot look like Rachel's car?" Rad questioned.

Carlos snorted. "Dude, we noticed that _way_ before; get with the program, man." He said and Rad rolled his eyes.

"Settle down, kids." Rachel admonished lightly once she got to the floor. "I think it's time to go, Carlos and Alexis need to get back home before their parents decide I am really am trouble."

"But that's what makes you so cool!" Carlos said cheerfully, though Alexis did not look as enthused by all of this. Hot Shot briefly wondered if he'd just found the Red Alert of the group.

Rad was practically bouncing as he and the three mini-cons hurried off towards the exit. "This is going to be so awesome!" he shouted, his voice growing fainter as they got further ahead, but the mini-cons' indescribable reply sounded just as excited.

Rachel shook her head, Alexis keeping pace with the blonde and watching her carefully as the small group left the room. "I hope he realizes that he's still grounded." She mused and Carlos snickered.

Alexis cleared her throat as she glanced past Rachel up at Hot Shot. "So where's your mini-con? I thought there were two others?"

"He's around somewhere." Hot Shot said dismissively. "Jolt, that's my mini-con's name, and Longarm, that's Red Alert's, have been helping out. You know, getting into the small spaces we can't, telling us about the ship functions."

"From what High Wire told me I would have thought the Autobots built this ship." Rachel said mildly.

"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah, they did, but I'm not exactly a construction or engineering bot." Hot Shot explained. "Securities more my thing, but stick in the mud Red Alert won't let me touch the systems." He huffed. "What does he think I'm gonna do?"

"It sounds like you don't exactly like him." Alexis pointed out.

Hot Shot's expression twisted. "It's not so much as I _don't_ like him so much as he hasn't got a personality."

"I don't know; he sure seemed pretty snarky when you two were arguing back there." Carlos teased. "After all, it takes two to tango." He added, but Hot Shot only stared at him blankly, causing the boy's expression to fall. "Really, you don't know what _this_ means but you knew what 'stick in the mud' meant?"

Hot Shot grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously. "I was looking up things to call him; it just stuck."

"While you're in town, would you mind playing taxi for me?" Rachel asked cautiously. "It'd be a bit easier on my friends and my wallet not to take the bus until my ankle heals up. Plus, I can only get away with saying my car's in the shop for so long; this way when you stop scouting I can just say it got totalled or something."

Hot Shot hummed thoughtfully. The idea of driving Rachel around wasn't exactly an appealing one, as it meant it'd cut into time he would be taking to try and spot any 'Cons, but her car _had_ been destroyed because Cyclonus thought it was him. "Yeah, I guess that would be fine."

Rachel smiled sincerely. "Thanks. I promise it'll just be until I get better." Her smile faded, and she looked down at her ankle with an expression very reminiscent of how Hot Shot looked when he'd been berth-ridden.

He'd gotten marginally well in only two days, while she was still nowhere near being able to move on her own yet. Even if he was reluctant about taking up scouting once more, he wasn't about to let his new friends' get something even worse than a sprained ankle. These organics were so fragile after all.

* * *

Rad grinned as he lied on his back, head tilted as he watched High Wire and Kero stare each other down. He wasn't quite sure what they were doing, but it seemed like establishing some form of hierarchy; Rachel was top dog, even if she didn't know about Kero or the magic, and then there was Rad. He chuckled quietly to himself as he rolled onto his stomach.

Kero hadn't wanted to go after the card until he and High Wire settled whatever rivalry they had. He hadn't seemed worried about the card at the school, but now that Rad had his fun of watching these two do their epic stare down, he knew that even if he wasn't a fan of school there were kids who bizarrely liked that place.

Rad got up from his bed and poked his head out of the room, listening intently for the gentle snores coming from Rachel's side of the apartment before switching out his over shirt with a dark hoodie, and retrieving Windy from the Sakura Book. The blond had decided not to chance sneaking out in broad daylight where he could be spotted while Rachel had been at her afternoon classes, and she'd even stayed up with him to eat dinner. Hot Shot was going to be a big help with getting Rachel around, but he was a bit disappointed that Marty wouldn't be stopping by now that his cousin didn't need the man's help with transportation.

"Okay you two," Rad said as he closed the door and crossed his arms, "I've let this go on long enough, but I really gotta know what kind of card I'm going to be dealing with."

Kero didn't even blink as he kept his gaze locked onto High Wire's. "From what you told me, you have nothing to worry about. This is Bubbles, and she isn't aggressive."

"You seem to be forgetting just _what_ you told me." Rad said dryly. "As in, even the nice ones will be a handful? And need I remind you that even Sweet was kind of a pain to catch?" he rolled his eyes when Kero still didn't look at him. Rad chewed the inside of his cheek as he thought of how to break this little contest going on. "Well, now that High Wire's here, I guess he can come with me on these trips."

 _That_ got Kero's attention. His indignant expression snapped over to Rad. " _What_? You can't be serious. There's no way this tin can will be helpful!" he said furiously, but paused when High Wire began letting out triumphant beeping, though to Rad's ears it instead sounded rather maniacal. Kero slowly drooped, his body going limp as his whole form radiated sadness. "I guess I lost."

Like a light switch, Kero suddenly sprang back up, all smiles and cheer. "Ah well, can't win 'em all." He said, but turned a narrowed gaze toward High Wire, who seemed just as startled as Rad by this abrupt change in behavior. "You though; you better make sure nothing happens to Rad, or I will totally make you regret it once I get my real form back."

 _"Wha…huh…um…"_ High Wire trailed off dazedly, but snapped out of it and nodded indignantly. " _Of course I'll protect Rad! Not only did Rachel say so, but I happen to like Rad!"_ he shot back heatedly.

Rad blinked. "He, uh, said that he'll do his best." He translated, and Kero crossed his arms.

"You better."

The blond shook his head, waving his arms to try and get attention back on him. "Back up a sec; you're _okay_ with me taking High Wire? What was with all that staring? You two didn't even _blink!"_

Kero grinned at him. "I just wanted to make sure High Wire could do it, and between you and me," he put a hand up beside his mouth, lowering his voice to a stage whisper, "even this bucket is better than those big mechas getting the cards."

" ** _Bucket?_** _Why you little-"_

Rad hurriedly grabbed a hold of one of High Wire's outstretched hands that were reaching for Kero. The guardian's grin only widened. Rad sighed as he realized that the stare down had simply been Kero's way of messing with them; it looked like he wasn't about to let his target of jokes and digs go. Smiling slyly, Rad took his own shot as he spoke to High Wire in his own stage whisper. "Personally, I think he missed you too. He's just annoying because he likes us."

Kero harrumphed as he turned up his nose and huffily floated onto the bed. "Just go, go and have your little adventure without me."

Rad rolled his eyes at the dramatics. "Just don't do anything that could wake Rachel up."

"Sure, whatever."

Rad shook his head and both he and High Wire made their way out into the hall quietly. The blonde locked the door and re-potted the apartment key before taking off his magic one. He held it out before him and High Wire stepped back as the glowing circle appeared beneath Rad. "Key of the star, with powers burning bright; reveal the staff and shine your light- _release!"_

 _"That is still so cool to watch."_ High Wire said appreciatively once the key was now in its staff form.

Rad grinned as he rubbed his neck in embarrassment. "Aw, thanks High Wire, but now you gotta, you know." He nodded towards the elevator, and the mini-con understood as he transformed into his bike mode. Rad kept a look out as they walked down the hall, but made sure to grab the handle bars once they entered the elevator so the camera didn't catch anything strange.

Rad had never been so glad that his cousin took her own schooling so seriously and went to bed just before the sun set. He knew with the days growing longer, that sneaking around was going to be a bit harder, especially now though since they would need to avoid Hot Shot skulking around the town. _'I hope Hot Shot sleeps during the night like we do.'_ He thought, and wheeled the mini-con out of the elevator once it arrived in the lobby.

The blonde took a careful look around inside the lobby, and then outside to make sure there was no one around that could recognize him. Given the moderate size of the town, it wasn't impossible that someone wouldn't know who he was, but he couldn't take a chance.

Rad got onto the bike seat, and held onto one handle bar while gripping the wand in the other. He awkwardly pulled his hood up as they neared a stoplight. He glanced down as a car pulled up to the curb to avoid letting them see his face, and High Wire turned at the corner to give the driver less of a chance. The streetlamps were helpful in that he could see in front of him, but unfortunately that meant anyone else could too.

The blond bit his lip as High Wire pulled into the Lincoln Elementary parking lot. "Oh great, I don't think even sending Windy is going to get me a spare key this time."

 _"If you get her to open a window, then I could drive up through it."_ High Wire suggested.

Rad blinked for a moment, but then slowly grinned. "That's a pretty good idea. I knew bringing you along would help." He felt High Wire waggled his handle bars, and the blond took that to mean he was happy. Rad pulled Windy out of his pocket and tossed the card into the air, where her card stayed as Rad pointed his Star Wand at her, the tiny wings glowing. "Go open a window on the second floor, Windy!"

Streams of yellow and green wind sprung forth in Windy's wake as she darted out of the card and moved around the school to the side of the building. Rad squinted at the building, the moonlight only illuminating the inside of the classrooms enough for him to see an indistinct mass of bubbles. Rad saw the glowing streams and found Windy hovering in the air as she gestured to the window on the side of the building. The blond nodded as the spirit floated back down to, returning to her card form in the process.

"You know, I feel pretty bad about using Windy to essentially do breaking and entering's." Rad said sheepishly.

" _Still, better than **actually** breaking something, right? And it's not like you're here to steal anything."_ High Wire pointed out.

"I know, but it's the principle of the matter." Rad replied as he tucked Windy back into his pocket and let High Wire wheel them over to the side, where the blond could see a window had been propped open. "That's gonna be a tight fit."

 _"Just leave it to me!"_ High Wire assured him. Rad nodded as he made sure he was secured on the bike once the mini-con reached the wall and began his ascent up the side of the building. He still had no idea what High Wire planned to do, but he got his unexpected answer when at midpoint High Wire abruptly _transformed._

Rad screamed in surprise as High Wire clutched at the window pane with one servo, while he grabbed the blond's arm with the other. He let out a strained beep as he hefted Rad up and tossed him into the room. The pre-teen groaned as he landed on his backside, wincing as he got back to his feet and glared down at the mini-con. "That was your brilliant idea? I really need to stop trusting you."

High Wire flailed his legs as he struggled to keep a grip on the pane. _"Yes, I should have warned you, now please help me in!"_

Rad sighed as he set down the Star Wand and grunted as he grabbed High Wire's arm and struggled to pull him in. He knew the mini-con would be heavier than him despite how he was _shorter_ than Rad, but the blond hadn't expected him to weigh _this_ much. "How much do you weigh?!"

High Wire beeps sounded huffy as he helped pull himself in. He turned his head away as he crossed his arms, appearing totally unfazed by his previous bout of panic. " _That's just rude. I don't complain about how much **you** weigh, do I?"_

Rad rolled his eyes, but his expression hardened as he grabbed his wand and turned to face the dozens of pink bubbles which were lazily mulling around the room. He narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the innocent bubbles that were aimlessly drifting by him, and he quickly shut the window, causing them to detour off to the side. "Yeah, I'm not about to let this card get loose." He reached down to help High Wire up. "Think you can find the light switch while I try and see if I can sense where Bubbles' real form might be?"

 _"No need, I installed a few upgrades when I scanned your bike."_ High Wire said, his headlight flickering on and illuminating the dark room.

"Wow, I thought those things were only decoration." Rad said impressed. His moment passed though as he kept the mini-con in front of him while they made their way out of the room, where the entire hall was overrun with bubbles. "No wonder they closed the school today if _this_ was what it was like." He observed, with High Wire beeping in his own two-cents.

Rad was glad that the bubbles weren't attacking him-and man did that sound weird-but knew that he still had to be careful. If the disinfectant smell was accurate, he'd hate to get this stuff in his eyes. He closed his eyes and tried to feel out where Bubbles could be, but he must have been really new at this whole magic thing as he could only feel the bubbles around him. "We better keep moving; if I were a bubble, where would I originate?"

 _"Is…is that really something you're asking?"_ High Wire asked incredulously, but held up his hands in placation when Rad glared at him. _"Okay, I know you're new at this. It just makes no sense though to think a magic bubble could be caused by mundane means."_

"I caught Sweet in a bakery." Rad said flatly. High Wire's arms fell to his side, and he seemed to be giving the blond another disbelieving stare. "As unpredictable as magic is supposed to be, I think we should be lucky if they do what you think they'll do; so I'll say it again-where would I form?"

High Wire rubbed his chin. _"Hmm, in what areas of this school could produce this?"_

"Well, there's definitely no 'bubble blowing class', which would be awesome and make school more bearable," Rad quipped, "but bubbles are made from soap, and soap is usually stored in the supplies room."

" _Great, where is it?"_

"Er," Rad smiled sheepishly, "I don't actually know." Now it was High Wire's turn to stare at him flatly. "Hey, you can't expect me to know everything about this school; I don't even like coming here!"

" _I happen to know just about everything with the mini-con ship, it's common sense."_ High Wire said smugly, causing Rad to roll his eyes.

"It's probably in the basement or something. Now that I _do_ know the way to." He said, and High Wire tilted his head. "Um, I once had to go down there to get some basketballs since the other sixth grade class had taken them all. Anyway, let's get going." He said and turned around to lead High Wire to the stairwell which was-big shock-filled to the ceiling with more bubbles. Rad swatted a bubble away from the railing, and sneezed when it popped, pink sparkly residue irritating his nose. "Ugh, forget my eyes, this is gonna mess up my sinuses."

 _"Which is why I should go first."_ High Wire said as he carefully got in front of Rad and swatted the bubbles away, not caring when the pink orbs popped and splattered onto his armour. Rad still pulled the collar of his hoodie up though and hung it over his nose as he tried to keep a grip on the slippery rail.

When they reached the first floor, Rad paused as he could feel a stronger sensation of bubbles brushing against his skin even though High Wire was swatting them left and right. The blond blinked, and closed his eyes as he let the feeling wash over him. He could smell a stronger disinfectant when he turned to the right, and opened his eyes as he laughed incredulously. "I don't believe it; she's hiding in the girl's bathroom!"

" _What? Is there something wrong with that?"_

Rad snickered. "No, it's just I guess I finally get to see what the inside is gonna be like." He said and shuffled High Wire until he was back in front of him. "It's right there," he said pointing at the door where there was a plague on the door, and on that was a stick figure wearing a dress. "I should have asked earlier, but you got any weapons on you?"

 _"You're right, you should have asked before."_ High Wire said flatly. " ** _I_** _don't, but while me, Sureshock and Grindor combine together and we don't have **actual** weapons, we are quite strong and could certainly give either faction a hard time."_

"Wow." Rad said awed, but furrowed his brow. "Wait; you never did tell me how that works."

 _"Again, I'll explain later; it'll take a while and now's not the time."_ High Wire replied, and Rad nodded as the mini-con pushed the door open.

Immediately, more pink bubbles poured out of the bathroom, and the two actually found themselves struggling against the surge to get inside. Rad winced and sneezed every time a bubble popped in his face, and he felt his clothes starting to stain and stick to his skin. High Wire was practically sparkling by the time they got inside, and Rad narrowed his stinging eyes around the room.

"Okay, Bubbles!" he called forcefully. "You've had your fun, now it's time to show yourself." He tensed up when the mass around them converged into a nondescript shape, but he could spot what looked like eyes from the bubbly image, and a head tilting, the bubbles drooping to the side with the gesture.

 _"Quickly, Rad, before she attacks or something!"_ High Wire said panicked. Apparently he _hadn't_ put much stock into Kero's assurance of things being fine.

Rad wasn't inclined to ignore that things could go south either, so he spun his wand, splattering several bubbles in his wake as he pointed the star tip towards the spirit. "Return to your power confine," the wings glowed and a card formed at the tip of the circular ornament, "Sakura Card!"

The mass of bubbles was slowly vacuumed into the shell card, and soon the room was cleared of the pink mess. Rad caught the card as it floated over to him, and he took in the image on the face of the rectangular card. It looked like a mermaid wearing a crop top while her hands were clasped over her waist and underneath that were two fins protruding out, while even under _that_ was a fish tail which curved slightly. She had fluffy foam on her wrists and neck, where in the center of the collar was an orange gem. On her head was a shiny string of pearls that went around her forehead and a huge mass of bubbles that extended even into the card's bottom border. Much like the other cards Rad had, Bubbles' eyes were closed as though she was only asleep.

Rad noticed High Wire trying to look over his shoulder at the card, and he held it out so the mini-con could see it more clearly. "So how do feel about your first card hunt?"

High Wire beeped excitedly. _"It was amazing! I'm just glad she wasn't violent, just annoying."_

Rad chuckled sheepishly, but frowned as he thought about what the mini-con said. Windy had come back, and both Sweet and Bubbles _were_ annoying obstacles, but the only card which tried to cause actual damage had been Create. And even that was now more inclined to be passive-aggressive in staying with Hot Shot after the bot beat it.

He was really worried about how long his luck was going to last with the 'soft' cards.

 _"Hey, Rad?"_

"Yeah?"

 _"Can we use the front door? I don't think you'd like to use the window again."_

Rad bit his lip as he realized that being 'stealthy' was going to end with him leaving behind unlocked doors after all. He slumped over. "Aw, crud."

The mini-con's beeping laughter didn't help.

* * *

This couldn't be happening.

He just wanted to help.

 _Pain, crushing-can't breathe, can't breathe!_

None of this was supposed to happen!

 _Crack!_

 _"Rad!"_

Shooting up from her bed, Rachel gasped, tears streaming down her face as she held her chest. She could feel her heart practically beating out of her ribcage. She winced as her ankle jostled on the bed, but when she reached for her lamp, she stopped, remembering briefly that she didn't have one anymore.

Rachel frowned as she wiped the sweat from her brow, breathing in deeply to try and calm herself. She didn't know why this dream kept happening; she'd gotten Optimus to let the mini-cons protect the kids; to protect Rad, so why was she still having this nightmare?

 _'Rad's supposed to be safe now, why am I still scared? He_ should _be safe now.'_

Rachel tried to keep repeating the mantra to herself, but she couldn't quite get herself to believe it no matter how hard she tried. The feeling of foreboding wouldn't go away, and she was terrified of just what was going to happen before this continued nightmare stopped.

 _'It's just a dream, it doesn't mean anything. It_ can't _mean anything; use your head.'_

 __Rachel bit her lip; she knew one thing for certain: she definitely wouldn't be getting anymore sleep tonight.


	9. Chapter 8: Rain Forest Part 1

**Chapter 8: Rain Forest Part 1**

 _(Alternative Title: All Aboard The Angst Train)_

* * *

As Starscream stared down at the blue planet, he realized how he hadn't had any time to himself since arriving in this solar system. Though he had no real feelings for this planet one way or the other, he knew that the exotic locations and climates would have interested someone he'd known once.

Grimacing, he felt the sharp sting of bitterness in his spark as he thought of the vorns which had long since passed. Looking back on the years, Starscream couldn't believe how much things had changed. Perhaps it was his own fault for thinking that joining Megatron would be like how it had been with Overcast.

Though Starscream had been assigned to Overcast as his bodyguard, the large white shuttle had never looked down upon him for being a warrior instead of a scientist like himself. He'd viewed them as equals, valued his opinion, and listened if Starscream declared that one of the planets they explored was deemed too hostile for even them.

Why couldn't Megatron see how much he wanted that same respect with him? Starscream was one of his top soldiers, so his recruitment for this mission made the most sense to him. The others…less so. Demolishor fawned over Megatron to an almost sickening degree, and the only point in that idiot Cyclonus' favor was that he could fly-other than that he reminded Starscream unpleasantly of his cousin's worst aspects.

It was infuriating that they were the ones who were allowed to have the mini-cons collected after the Autobots had fled the desert, while he was left to acquire one on his own. He huffed quietly as he looked away from the damaged ship's window; he'd taken much in stride due to his ego, and he wouldn't let this slight overtake him. He'd get a mini-con and would show all of them, _especially_ Megatron that he deserved to be respected.

And he wasn't going to let those two oafs show him up; not on a retrieval mission and certainly not during a training simulation.

* * *

Rad felt a knot tie in his stomach as he glanced up at Rachel from his cereal bowl. His cousin looked worse for wear, as though she hadn't gotten any sleep for the past two days. Her hair was haphazardly pulled into her usual ponytail with more fly-aways than normal, and there were dark circles under her eyes. He wondered if she really was regretting her decision to keep High Wire around, but despite how grumpy she acted, there was never any lash-out towards the mini-con.

Rad was left to worry about what else it could have been. His thoughts would often turn to the stress of her schooling, but she'd already dealt with it during her freshman year of college; was it him? Was she realizing he was too much of a hassle to keep around? Rachel _had_ expressed frustration with his recent behavior, and it churned his insides to know that he could possibly be adding to her problems made him uncomfortable.

He found he couldn't eat any more of his breakfast, and he dumped it down the empty side of the sink.

Rachel shifted in her seat and reached out to grab his arm as he tried to move past her. "Wait, I got something for you." Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a white cell phone. "I bought this and got Mom and Dad to agree to a family plan so we can save on money," she smiled tiredly, "so at least this way I'll know you can call me anytime."

Rad bit his lip as he accepted the phone, the feelings of guilt only intensifying. "You didn't have to waste your money on me; the check's supposed to be coming soon-" Rachel shook her head.

"It's not a waste since it concerns your safety." She assured him. Her eyes flickered to the clock and she grabbed her crutches. "I gotta go, Hot Shot's gonna be here in a few minutes."

"Have a nice day." Rad said quietly as his cousin made her way out of the apartment. Giving his own side-eye glance to the clock, he found he still had a bit of time left before he had to head out, so he slinked off to his room where High Wire and Kero were cuddling together on his bed. Rad's lips twitched up just for a moment. _'Wouldn't know that these two hated each other looking at this.'_

Rad checked his phone, and found that it indeed had a camera feature. He smiled briefly once more as he lined up the shot and took the picture. The image froze on his phone as he saved it, and he couldn't resist using it as his screen saver; Carlos and Alexis wouldn't think it was High Wire with nothing but a plush toy, but Sureshock and Grindor were sure to get a kick out of it though.

High Wire awoke first, and he tilted his head when he saw the phone flash. " _What was that?"_

"Oh, nothing." Rad answered innocently as he put the phone in his pant pocket. "We have a bit of time left before we have to leave, do you want to do anything?"

" _Hmm,"_ High Wire subtly shoved Kero away from him, who squawked as he shot into the air, _"I think I just did what I wanted too."_ There was definitely a smirk in his tone.

Kero fumed as he clenched his small fists. "Just you wait, soon I'll be big enough to shove _you_ off the bed!" he whirled around, and abruptly beamed at Rad. " _Hee-ey_ , think I could finally get a room of my own? Washing off the smell of dirt and oil is a real hassle." He explained, while pointedly ignoring the glare High Wire sent him.

Rad raised a brow though. "Couldn't I just use Bubbles to clean you?"

"Oh, look at the time, too bad you gotta go." Kero said as he just 'happened' to glance at the digital clock. "Be sure to think of a way to get Create back, remember to be on the look-out for more magical signatures, and don't be too disappointed if this tin-can doesn't work out as your partner." He listed off, and High Wire took a swipe at him when he got to that last bit. Kero floated out of the way lazily. "See? He's violent."

Rad rolled his eyes, but their antics did help alleviate some of his dour mood. He checked to make sure he had all his notebooks for school, that his key was inside his shirt, and that all three of his Sakura Cards were all tucked away in his backpack's side pocket. Since he planned on taking a side trip to see the Autobots after school, perhaps he could try once more to convince Create to come back by showing it he wasn't so bad with these three.

Kero said they felt rejected-he just needed to prove that he wouldn't do that. _'Yeah, turns out that's a lot harder than I thought.'_

Rad shook his head, but gestured for High Wire to follow him. "Oh, and if you promise not to mess up my room, Kero, you can have one of my drawers if you don't want to use Bubbles." He said, his tone a tad teasing and Kero stuck his tongue out at him before flying over to his desk. He chuckled briefly as he closed the door just enough so that Kero could get out if he wanted too.

When Rad came back upon the kitchen, he peered back over his shoulder at his room. Nodding to himself, he found a pen and took out a plate from the cupboard. He pulled the necklace off from around his neck as he grabbed an apple out of the fridge and set it on the plate. Rad put a finger against his lips and High Wire nodded.

"Release!" Rad said quietly. The strange elongated and he fished Sweet out of his backpack. He tossed Sweet up into the air and the wings on the staff glowed as Sweet was held in place. Rad's voice remained low as he continued, "Make this apple into a cake, Sweet!"

A small pink form sprung from the card as Sweet descended upon the apple. She flourished her wand, tapping the apple and in an instant a cake was in its place. Rad mouthed 'thank you' and Sweet smiled at him before reverting to her card form and slipped back into his knapsack's pocket.

After Rad put a note in front of the cake and set it in the fridge, both Rad and High Wire set about making their way out of the apartment, and Rad smiled when he caught up with his friends on the ride to school and parked their mini-cons at the bicycle rack once they arrived. "Hey, you never did tell me how you got your parents to believe the cover story for Grindor and Sureshock."

Carlos rubbed the back of his head. "Must have slipped my mind." He said sheepishly. "So anyway, I told my 'rents that I entered a raffle for a new skateboard, and they totally bought it."

Alexis' lips pursed moodily. "I didn't have such a good time; I had to say that you and Carlos both helped me buy this with your allowance."

Rad raised a brow. "Straight-laced Alexis actually _lied?_ What would Rachel think of you?" he teased, and Alexis' face flushed red.

She glowered at Rad. "The things I'm doing for you and the mini-cons."

"Speaking of our robot friends," Carlos piped up, "I was thinking of going to see them after school got out. Now that you're ungrounded we can go together."

Rad blinked, but felt touched by the gesture. "You didn't go because you wanted me to go with you?"

"Hey, don't go thinking I'm getting all soft and mushy." Carlos warned him.

"Too late." Alexis shot back. "Your very 'manly' screams when the Decepticons cornered us didn't exactly make me think any better of you."

Carlos scowled back at her. "Well, at least I don't have a super annoying cousin." He snapped childishly.

Alexis paused as she ignored the jab. "Now that you mention it, I won't be able to make sure you two don't get into trouble at the Autobot's base." She didn't exactly look sad that she couldn't go, and Rad was reminded that she'd always been the least enthusiastic about this continued contact. "I have to go home and help my parents 'de-cute' the living and dining rooms."

"De-cute? Is that even a real thing?" Rad asked curiously.

Alexis nodded grimly. "My uncle thinks Mom got over her 'cuteness' craze-or at least downplayed it, I was never really sure-and so Kelly gives us a heads up when her parents want to come over for dinner. It's just us taking down pictures of kittens, puppies, all that kind of stuff."

"Your mom sounds like more of a kid than you do." Carlos pointed out.

Alexis grimaced. "I know."

Rad blinked once more, and he was presented with the image of a younger Alexis in their second grade where she'd come to school every day wearing a different dress that looked overly cute. "Wait a second; is your mom why you used to wear those frilly outfits to school?"

The brunette nodded, the grimace widening. "She laid off that when I told her as the president I'd be wearing business suits and not frills. Point is, don't bug the Autobots if they're doing something important. In fact, maybe you shouldn't even go to the Autobot base if they _are_ in the middle of something important."

Rad shook his head as Alexis tried a last ditch effort to convince them to back out, but it had been two days since he'd last seen the Autobots-heck, he'd never seen _Hot Shot_ in that time frame and he stopped by twice a day. ' _Although,'_ Rad thought of Rachel's angry and disappointed expression, and how the dark circles under her eyes made her appear worse for wear, ' _I don't need to worry her-I should probably call her just to make sure that it's okay to go see them.'_

Barring the situation with the Sakura Cards, Rad wasn't willing to make Rachel's haggard condition worse.

* * *

Rachel rubbed her temples as she was grateful for the break bell. She had an hour to rest and eat a quick lunch before going back to class and not thinking about her nightmare. Though she hadn't resorted to sleeping pills, she was getting closer and closer to it the more the dream kept up. Rachel had enough to worry about with Rad, the fact even her subconscious was on her case about him did nothing to help.

"Hey, you don't look so good."

The blonde furrowed her brow, but blinked when she found Marty standing beside her desk. "Hmm? Oh, I'm just tired." She chuckled nervously. "Probably don't have to tell you that; you're in here helping Professor Paaswell all day after all."

"Yeah, it can get pretty hectic. Paleontology students can be a real wild bunch." Marty said with a wry smile. "If you're not too tired, wanna have lunch with me down in the quad?"

Rachel shrugged. "Sure, it's better than getting in line at the cafeteria." Plus, she hoped the fresh air would do her some good and get the cobwebs out of her head. After dragging herself out of her seat and pulling her crutches along with her, she hobbled out of the class room. _'I cannot wait until I can get this cast off.'_

"So how's Rad?" Marty asked.

"He's fine." Rachel replied. "Bit more rambunctious than I expected, but fine all the same."

"It must be difficult for him settling into a new place, even if you are his cousin." Marty said thoughtfully.

Rachel sighed; it _had_ crossed her mind that his acting out could be a sign he was homesick. She sure knew how bad _she_ got during her parents' many moves from Lincoln for the sake of their careers. Bitter? No, she wasn't bitter, not at all. _'It's total normal for me to have Rad move in so he didn't have to go through that too.'_ She thought dourly.

The steps down the front of the main entrance always gave her a bit of trouble, and she hated feeling so limited. She was tempted to blame the reason for _why_ she got like this, but self-loathing would deflect it inward. _'I could have done better, couldn't I? Yeah, probably.'_

"So which vendor do you want to stop at?" Marty asked.

Rachel chuckled dryly. "You go on ahead, I'm sure you're gonna need the time to visit everyone."

Marty grinned sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess that's true."

Rachel watched her friend cross the street, and she gave a quick glance around before starting to walk as well. A screech got her attention, and when she looked up, a gasp escaped her. A large purple and yellow motorbike was coming straight for her!

 _'Move, move, move!'_ she yelled at herself and stumbled to backtrack, but the sound of the engine was suddenly upon her. She shrieked as she was flung backwards, but instead of pain, a weight was around her waist.

Rachel's mind slowly registered what happened, and she just knew she hadn't been flattened like a pancake. Her eyes narrowed after the motorbike and the darkly clad driver. "Watch where you're going!"

Marty rushed back over to her, his expression contorted in worry. "Can you believe that guy? You're not hurt, are you? How's your ankle?"

Rachel winced at the pain which shot up her leg, but it was from the reminder than any further spraining. "Bad as it's regularly been." She muttered. The hands around her waist left when she leaned against Marty, and she looked over her shoulder at the one who pulled her out of the way. It was an older man with silver along his hair that contrasted against his dark locks. He reached down to pick up her crutches and a beige briefcase he must have dropped. "Uh, thank you sir." She tried not to show her confusion over her gratefulness, even if she couldn't recognize the man.

Marty though straightened up. "Hello, Professor Kinomoto." Rachel glanced at him, and he explained, "As a prof. aide I know everyone" with a wry smile.

The blonde grasped her crutches and smiled politely. "Thank you." She said once more, before her eyes glared off into the direction where the motorbike had zoomed off into. "Can you believe the nerve of some people?" She fiddled with her crutches until she was standing on her own once again, and her tone softened when she looked at the professor. "Have a nice day, sir."

Quickly, Rachel waddled across the street as fast as she could to hopefully avoid any other unobservant drivers.

* * *

Rad fumbled with his new phone as he put in not only Rachel's contact number, but worked up the courage to actually call her. It was like a dark cloud hanging over him all day, and now that he was at this moment he realized there was no going back. He was also acutely aware that he was being a tad overdramatic, but after all that Rachel went through with them-and given that he lived with her-a heads up seemed like the least he could do.

Taking a deep breath, Rad was interrupted from hitting the call button when Carlos' exited shout rang out from behind. He all but jumped out of his skin as he glared at him over his shoulder. "Warn a guy, next time, would ya?" he placed a hand over his chest. "I think my heart actually stopped for a second."

"That's impossible," a young voice said, and Carlos' expression turned annoyed as Kelly and Alexis walked up to them, "if you're heart stopped, you'd be dead." Kelly finished seriously.

Carlos glared down at her. "It was just an expression; don't go making everything weird."

Kelly huffed as she crossed her arms. "I'm just telling you the facts; don't get mad at me for not knowing basic biology."

"If anyone should be embarrassed," Rad cut in sheepishly, "it's me for not knowing either."

Kelly blinked at him, her eyes staring into his as a flush appeared on her cheeks. "O-oh! I'd never think _you_ were stupid, Rad." She said shyly. She glanced back at Alexis, who looked faintly amused. "See ya later." She mumbled and scurried past Carlos and Rad.

The blond was left _be_ mused. "What just happened?"

Alexis chuckled. "I think someone's got a crush on you." She outright laughed when Rad looked confused. "I was shocked too, but apparently she really likes you."

"Why? I barely even know her!" Rad retorted.

Alexis sighed in what sounded like exasperation and shook her head. "Oh, Rad, you just don't understand romance. Crushes don't have to make sense, sometimes they just… _are."_ She stared off dreamily, a faint tinge of pink her in cheeks.

Rad tilted his head as he considered her behavior. "So you got a crush on someone too then?" He was rather bewildered when abruptly Alexis straightened up, her entire face flushing beet red with an angry glimmer in her eyes.

"Don't be ridiculous!" she snapped. "I-I-I don't have time for such childish things! Now if you'll excuse me I have a house to de-cute." She added huffily and stormed down the school steps towards the bike rack.

After his moment of quiet observation, Carlos added his own two cents. "Alexis is just as weird as Kelly." His demeanour shifted as he leaned forward excitedly. "So, you gonna call Rachel? 'Cause I really wanna get up to the Autobot base."

"Yeah, I was just about." Rad said, and he cringed as he hit the call button. He gulped when the other line was picked up. "Uh, hey Ray. You know how my grounding is over today?"

 _"Yes, why?"_

"Well, I was thinking that Carlos and I could go see the Autobots. That okay with you?" Rad held his breath for the answer.

Rachel hummed on her end of the line. _"I'm glad to see you're actually_ asking _now. I don't see why not though, since it's not like you're gonna be there alone."_

"Uh, that's right-we have High Wire and Grindor with us." Rad replied.

" _That's not what I meant."_ Rachel said flatly. " _And you can't trust anyone not to try and run you down-why at lunch-"_ she stopped abruptly. _"Hot Shot just drove up; I'll see you at the Autobot base soon then."_

Rad opened his mouth to reply, but was stopped when the other line went dead. He groaned as he slapped a hand to his forehead, but Rachel's anecdote worried him. Who almost got hit today? "Well, we can go, but Ray's gonna be chaperoning us."

Carlos let out a disappointed whine. "This is just like when she babysat me. I couldn't go two feet without her trailing after me. I think she's gained some kind of sixth sense about these kinds of things."

Given that Rad knew magic existed and he apparently had it, there was a certain possibility that Rachel could have that kind of power too. Something that gave him pause was when he remembered Create's dragon, and the fact _both_ Hot Shot and Rachel could see it. _'I'll have to ask Kero about this later.'_ He thought, and without further prompting, he jogged down the steps towards High Wire. "Hey, little guy, ya miss me?"

 _"Of **course** I missed you!"_ High Wire replied indignantly. _"Without you I can't stretch my cables or transform. I'm stuck out here all day with nothing to do but cloud-gaze with Grindor or play that 'I spy' game. It really would be helpful if you left us a magazine or something."_

"But then you couldn't read it anyway." Rad replied smartly. He bit down his chuckle when he felt High Wire and Grindor's sullen realization of this fact. "Don't worry, just think of this as getting some extra sleep-or recharge if that's what you call it."

 _"Hmm, that is true."_ High Wire admitted.

 _"Maybe we could even help you with those magic cards-"_ Rad froze as Grindor spoke, and watched Carlos furrow his brow as High Wire quickly shushed his combiner teammate. "- _uh, magic card **tricks!** Only three tricks and you forgot the fourth? High Wire says that's not a good thing."_

Carlos shrugged as he smiled easily at Rad. "That's not a bad number; you shouldn't be too hard on yourself."

"Believe me; I'm trying not to be." Rad muttered. On the inside he was silently relieved that Grindor had censored himself. Perhaps he needed to stress with the three mini-cons that they shouldn't talk about the cards or Kero _at all_ when around Carlos or Alexis. This was too close for comfort.

Carlos looked from Grindor to Rad. "Though I _am_ kinda wondering how you could understand him when I can't understand High Wire."

Rad stiffened. Of all the things, he really should have thought of a cover for this. He and Rachel had been worried about the Autobots figuring out their ruse than about either Alexis or Carlos questioning it. "Er, well, you see…I, uh, guess something just went wrong with the scanning? It's hard to tell-heck, even High Wire doesn't really know!" he looked imploringly at his friend. "Can you not mention this to the Autobots though? I don't want them to think I'm... _weird."_

Carlos raised a brow. "Weird? I think it's kinda cool, but whatever man." He shrugged.

Rad smiled in relief. "Thanks." He felt a twinge of guilt for lying about his ability to understand the mini-cons, but he felt that with the odd way both High Wire and Kero acted when he asked certain questions, that he wasn't being told the full truth either.

He just hoped they would tell him when they were ready.

* * *

Kero looked down at 'his' drawer with pride. It took most of the morning after Rad and High Wire left to clear it out, but he was finally finished! His mood dampened when he looked at the space, the image overlapping with another little room in a drawer.

The guardian shook his head vigorously. _'Those days are gone, everything's different now.'_ he thought and closed the drawer. He glanced at the one above his new room, where he could feel the presence of the Sakura Book.

In more ways than one, things had turned out differently than he thought. The Cardcaptor was a boy, when he thought for _sure_ it would have been… Kero sighed as he flew over to the window. Even the view was different. Sure, there had been parks back in Tomoeda, but he could actually see at the outskirts of Lincoln that there was a forest instead of more buildings.

Perhaps the frustrating thing was that even with the change in places, there was _still_ too much magical interference. It made trying to find the cards even more difficult, and that was not good. Rad might not have been what he was expecting, but he was still the Cardcaptor and Kero would do his best to help him.

The interference wasn't just with the cards, and that worried him. As depleted as his own magic was, he should have felt _something_ from- well, it just made him that much more suspicious of the people Rad hung around.

Kero slipped through the open slightly ajar door and made his way towards the kitchenette. When he opened the fridge, he peered around the interior. There was a carton of milk, two cabinets full of vegetables and fruits, but his eyes were drawn to the plate with a one layered cake; it was chocolate with blue frosting and red sprinkles.

His eyes shined as he read the note in front of it. 'I thought you'd might like this,' was scrawled across the paper, 'but don't eat it all in one go, and be careful when you put the plate into the sink.'

Kero felt a mixture of excitement and gratitude. "Ca-ke!" he slipped back into his accent as he hefted the plate out of the fridge. He shut the door and flittered around the cake with a fork in hand, wondering where to start first. _"Cake~!"_

* * *

While Rad was all aboard with going to the Autobot base, even if it was for his own reasons, he still worried about if Rachel was going to come up to the mountain every time he did. Sure, he appreciated how protective his cousin was, but she also seemed to lack a sense of _self-_ preservation that was worrying. From what High Wire had explained once he got back, Rachel thought nothing of trying to protect him until the very end.

It was a sobering thought, especially since Rad got the feeling Rachel was only going along with the Autobots because of him and Carlos. It didn't take a genius to see that Alexis hadn't been for this alliance either.

He straightened up when he saw Rachel limping alongside Hot Shot, who was walking at what looked to be a snail's pace given their differences in height. "Are you okay?" While he meant Rachel, he hoped his significant glance at both of them knew it included Hot Shot too.

The yellow mech hadn't seemed out of sorts when Rad asked his cousin how the bot was during the last two days. She hadn't noticed anything off about him other than the boredom of repetition apparently, and Rad was relieved as well as uneasy. Create hadn't done anything during its time with Hot Shot, and it worried Rad for if the time came when it decided that it had enough too.

Rad knew Kero was agitated with Create's unmonitored presence, and the blond was ashamed he hadn't come up with an idea of how to get the card on his side. He had a vague plan of how to get the card itself, but that would require getting Hot Shot away from everyone else.

Leaning against her crutch, Rachel smiled at him as she stepped into the cave. "I'm getting better; I actually got a call from our doctor on my way here, and he said I could come in tomorrow to check and see if this cast can come off."

Rad smiled. "That's great."

The yellow bot grinned next, puffing up proudly. "My injuries are all but gone, so now Red Alert _has_ to stop getting on my case about it." He said and Rad chuckled weakly while Rachel shook her head.

Rachel then nodded to the inner cave. "It's okay, Hot Shot, I got Rad here now in case I lose my step." She said, and after a moment of deliberation the yellow bot reluctantly continued into the cave. "So," she started once they were alone, "Alexis decided not to come?"

"Yeah, something about helping her parents with the house." Rad explained. He winced when he saw Rachel's haggard appearance again. "You didn't have to come either, it's not like Carlos and I would get into trouble."

His cousin narrowed her eyes at him. "It's not that I don't trust you, but this is something new you're presented with."

Rad sighed. "So no except yes?" Rachel only smiled softly and Rad put his hand over his chest. "That hurt." He forced himself to smile back glibly as they both continued into the cave. Rad glanced at Rachel when High Wire rushed up to them with Grindor and two unfamiliar mini-cons. "Hey, you can keep an eye on Rachel, right? I gotta go talk to Hot Shot."

 _"You bet I can!"_ High Wire said enthusiastically.

Rachel's smile turned sardonic. "And here I thought _I_ was supposed to be keeping watch, not the other way around." She still limped along with the mini-cons though when High Wire gestured to the hall, chattering all the way about little tidbits for the ship.

When the other mini-cons turned to follow, Rad reached out to tap the two unfamiliar ones on the shoulders. He could remember them coming back with them after that fiasco in the desert. "Is one of you Hot Shot's partner?" The salmon colored bot nodded and Rad smiled. "Just making sure; do you know where he is?"

The pinkish-orange bot nodded once more. He looked at his fellow mini-cons. " _You can go on ahead, I'll catch up when-"_

"Oh, I don't want to take you away from your friends." Rad said.

The two bots looked surprised, but Hot Shot's partner made a sound which Rad vaguely recognized as a cough. " _Your consideration is nice, but do you actually know where specific areas of the ship are located?"_ Rad flushed when he realized he didn't. _"I thought so; it is no trouble to help you. And besides, Hot Shot could do with some other company than his teammates every now and then when he comes back."_ He tilted his head. " _He also seems to find it annoying when I keep telling him he should take it easy."_

Rad blinked. "Are you a medic too?"

The helicopter mini-con stiffened, and his tone became distinctly flustered. _"No, I'd like to be, but I'm just a mini-con."_ He said, but shook his head and pointed down the hall. _"Anyway, he's in his quarters right now._ "

Rad thought that the conversation ended way too abruptly, but didn't need to ask why Jolt couldn't be a medic. 'Just a mini-con' was depressingly becoming the answer to a lot of things. It acutely explained why High Wire was so scared of Sureshock and Grindor separating from him. Rad didn't like that his parents were off on a dig somewhere for an unspecified amount of time-and really hadn't liked it when Rachel was forced to leave with her parents- but even if it was underhanded he could understand High Wire's actions.

It still felt like he got off a bit light though, but that was not for here nor now.

"By the way, my name's Rad."

 _"Jolt."_

Rad nodded, and made to take in every corner they turned, and hoped he could remember it even after he was done talking with Hot Shot. "Yes," he answered when Jolt asked if he was sure he wanted to be alone, "I can find my way to the command center." He sheepishly pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. "And it's not like I can't just call Rachel."

Jolt tilted his head. " _Those don't work in here."_

Rad froze, his mind immediately turning back to when Optimus had called Rachel on the console. He groaned and slapped a hand over his face. "Don't tell me that only alien tech can work in here." He sighed, but tried to appear chipper than he felt. "Well, it's not like I can't just ask Hot Shot-he probably has to go there too, doesn't he?"

Jolt nodded, and after a bit of prodding from the blond did the mini-con take his leave. Rad found it endearing that Jolt cared so much, but right now he couldn't let the other mini-cons know about Create being with Hot Shot. Kero definitely didn't like that Sureshock and Grindor knew about magic, and Rad knew he'd have to go over with Jolt and Red Alert's partner about secrecy-secrecy which felt rapidly like he was losing with how more of the little bots were bound to learn about it.

Rad knocked on the door, and a shuffling on the other side was the only warning he got before the metal sheet slid open. Hot Shot looked at the open air with annoyance, but seemed confused before his gaze shifted downward. His expression brightened. "Expecting someone else?" Rad asked teasingly.

Hot Shot laughed lightly. "Red Alert, figured he'd come skulking around to make sure I was following his orders." He huffed. "I swear he got to Jolt, little mech won't let me hear the end of it when I even try and pick up a _crate."_

"I'll take your word for it." Really, that's all Rad could say without spilling the beams about his second secret. "Are you busy though? 'Cause, well, I wanna talk to you about something."

Hot Shot's eyes widened, which Rad didn't think was possible given how wide they already were. "Really? Uh, sure then." He grinned at him. "As long as it's not about taking it easy, I'm all for it."

Rad relaxed. "That's great." He stepped inside the room and took the time to look around. Things were sparse given that Rad assumed the Autobots likely hadn't been able to bring much with them, but he could see little knick-knacks on a shelf and a beat up television. "Where'd you get that from?"

"Oh, from someplace called a dump." Hot Shot replied casually. "Red Alert nearly blew a circuit when he found out I 'risked exertion to my injuries'." he scoffed, and smirked as he rolled his shoulder. "I'm more than fit for duty now."

"Right." The blond answered faintly, and tried not to think about how Hot Shot had even been able to get away unseen at a landfill. Given they could teleport, the yellow bot could have picked one that happened to not be checked on a lot, but perhaps he was just thinking too much about this. ' _Heh, Alexis would be here telling me that I should be applying this thought-level to school and not what aliens do in their spare time.'_ He mused. "I actually wanted to ask you about something my friends told me," he began carefully, "it happened just after you met them apparently; they said you fought a giant flying lizard they couldn't see?"

Hot Shot's expression shut down a little, his eyes dimming. "They told you?" his voice was soft and he couldn't quite hide the worry that came over his face.

Rad nodded, and was sure to keep his tone encouraging. "Yeah. I'm actually pretty jealous that I didn't get to see it either-or not see it, but oh well." He shrugged. His voice shifted to convey his awe as his eyes widened. "You actually fought it though! What was it like? Did it breathe fire?"

Hot Shot stiffened. "It can breathe fire?" he winced. "Uh, no, it didn't." he answered in a clipped tone.

Rad saw a shifty act for what it was given how much he'd been doing it too recently. "Have you ever seen anything like it before?"

"No," Hot Shot replied, and his voice went so low Rad almost missed what he muttered next, "apparently there's no such thing as imaginary creatures."

 _'So that's why he's so unsure.'_ Rad thought. He boldly approached Hot Shot and peered up at him. "It's okay you know. I won't think you're weird or anything." He said smiling.

Hot Shot jerked back. "You won't? Your friends didn't think I was telling the truth, and Rachel just shut down." He looked concerned when he mentioned the blonde. "You should really tell her to get her head checked; I think she just went along with me so it didn't sound like I lost my processor either."

"I'll suggest it to her." Rad said. "But I meant what I said. Aliens exist, what else could, right?"

Finally, Hot Shot smiled again. "Yeah, what else." His grin faded a little, and he paused in reaching for his shoulder. "You swear you won't think I'm crazy?"

"I promise." Rad said solemnly.

Hot Shot nodded, his expression a touch nervous as he opened his shoulder compartment and pulled out a pink card. "That dragon, turned into _this_." He held up the card in front of Rad, who could swear he was being stared at by it.

And being judged.

It worried Rad that Create had heard him lying through his teeth to Hot Shot. If it did, could it understand why he can't just come out and tell the truth? Then again, Create likely didn't care if it was mad at him for whatever reason. Rad held out his hand. "Can I see it?"

Hot Shot tilted his head, but shrugged. "Why not. Maybe you can see something I didn't." he said with a weak grin, and Rad returned it. His fingers clasped the edge of the card, and almost indiscernibly, Create shifted sharply.

"Ah!" Rad cried as he pulled his hand back. He grimaced as a thin cut ran across his finger, right above where Windy had left her own mark on him.

"Rad, what's the matter? I'm so sorry!" Hot Shot said, his tone frantic and panicky. He looked completely out of his element, and robot or not he seemed even younger than Rad at the moment.

The blond applied the hem of his shirt to the cut, and tried to smile reassuringly through his grimace. "I'm okay, just a bit clumsy I guess."

"Are you sure? Do you need to see an earth doctor," Hot Shot paused, "or Red Alert?"

Rad laughed despite himself. "No, a paper cut isn't a big deal. Really, just give me a minute and I'll be fine. The sting is worse than the scratch." He couldn't help but feel disheartened by Create's response. It didn't even want Rad _touching_ it? Still, he would not lose hope that he could get some kind of trust. "Maybe it would be best if I could just see it?"

Hot Shot held the card out at him once more, and Rad pointedly kept his hands to himself. "So, you see anything? It's really starting to drive me crazy that I can't get the others to understand, they just think that-" he stopped abruptly, and his lips pressed tightly together.

Rad decided not to ask; Hot Shot felt like an open book, and even if they hadn't spent much time with each other, the tells about his mood were quite obvious. "Aside from the fact it's pink, this just looks like a regular tarot card. Though I do admit I've never seen one with a face like that. Maybe the card and lizard are too separate things?"

"No, I'm sure that flying thing turned into this." Hot Shot replied. He looked up when a blaring rang out, and Rad's mind immediately went to an attack.

"Is there something wrong?! What's that noise?" he questioned.

Hot Shot smiled down at him. "You've never heard it, have you? It's the mini-con detector." He made his way to the door and slid Create back into his shoulder compartment. "You need help finding the command center?"

"No, I can manage." Rad replied. He bit his lip, and he knew he'd never gather the courage again if he didn't say it now. "I won't give up!" Hot Shot stopped and looked down at him. Rad's eyes locked onto the compartment. "I swear I won't."

Hot Shot's eyes widened in surprise. "Well, that's-thanks Rad." He said appreciatively. "At least someone believes me."

Rad smiled at the yellow bot as he walked out, and hoped that Create knew that was for it too; if he could just get Create to think about what he said, then maybe he'd have a chance to resolve things peacefully.

He sighed heavily, and left the room moments later.


	10. Chapter 9: Rain Forest Part 2

**Chapter 9: Rain Forest Part 2**

* * *

Trees, trees, and oh look, even _more_ trees. Of all places, why did the mini-con have to end up out here? Despite the improbability of it, even if Starscream hadn't known what the earthlings called their greenery, they bore a striking resemblance to the foliage of other planets. Being out here was a constant reminder of things gone by, and he hated that feeling.

Just as much as being mocked in the simulator earlier- he'd had a clear shot and the holographic Optimus Prime had only managed to hit him by luck. He would have beaten the Autobots by himself if Demolishor and Cyclonus had covered him like they were _supposed_ to. It was their fault Megatron was so harsh with him, and that only made him want this mini-con they were looking for even more.

"Demolishor, are you certain that you have the right co-ordinates for the mini-con's location?" Megatron questioned. He hadn't shown much reaction to their current surroundings, but Starscream knew his leader wouldn't dare show discomfort towards any organic.

The way those two organic females stood up to him was still fresh in their processors after all; honestly, it would have been quite amusing had it not been so foolish.

"Yes, sir, I programmed the locator myself." Demolishor replied. The round tracker was attached to his mini-con partner Blackout, who looked to be a miniature truck of some kind.

Starscream eyed the locator skeptically. This thing was really what time and effort was spent on? Already they were wasting precious seconds waiting for it to lock onto the signal. "It'll be a miracle if it can pick anything up at this rate." He muttered.

Demolishor shot him a suspicious glare. "What was that?"

"Nothing, I thought I'd past the time just talking to myself." Starscream said flatly.

Cyclonus laughed derisively. "And you think _I'm_ crazy? You haven't even found a mini-con yet!"

Though his temper rose, Starscream's voice didn't. "Yes, we should all be so lucky to stumble upon a mini-con by chance and hand-outs." Cyclonus scowled at him and Demolishor whirled around.

"You have something you wanna say to me?" he asked aggressively, but before things could escalate, Megatron stepped in.

"That's enough." he said coldly. "Demolishor, Cyclonus, desist your bickering with Starscream at once, and Starscream," his optics narrowed disdainfully, "what a disappointment you're turning out to be. Perhaps I should have had you stay on Cybertron to guard the fuel cells; that's what you're used to doing, isn't it? Guarding a necessary but fundamentally useless waste of reserves?"

 _'Don't…react.'_ Starscream thought to himself, but found it harder to do than he thought. Overcast had always been a sore spot, even more so than Skywarp, and Megatron seemed to find amusement in deriding the absent mech as Overcast's fondness for both science and organics were well-known amongst both factions. "If that is what you wanted, I would have done it." He replied, surprising even himself with how calm his voice was.

Megatron gave him a hard stare, but looked away with a disdainful scowl while Cyclonus looked disappointed that there wouldn't be any fighting. Starscream didn't really care so long as he got his servos on this mini-con. His optics glanced down at the locator when it beeped. Perhaps this tracker wasn't as useless as he thought-

Wait, why was the signal changing directions all of a sudden? He took it back; clearly this was a waste of time after all. "It would appear your invention has not lived up to its hype." Starscream said snidely.

Demolishor shot him a nasty glare. "You're one to talk!" he snapped and Starscream scowled at him. "The locator is working perfectly; the mini-con is probably on the move."

Was it the Autobots? No, they would have left the moment they retrieved it. Whatever was going on, Starscream wasn't going to let this mini-con go. "Sir, perhaps it would be more to our advantage if Cyclonus-" Oh how it pained him to add that-"and myself were to scout from the air?"

Megatron nodded tightly. "You will both report back if you are to find it," he glared pointedly at Starscream, "do you understand?"

"Yes, sir." Both flyers replied before taking to the sky.

As it turned out, things were in fact _not_ easier from the air, as the trees blocked any sighting they could have had of the mini-con. Oh, how much time would it have saved to just cut through all these things? When the thought flitted through Starscream' processor, so did the image of Overcast's wondrous expression as they scoped out an organic forest on one of their expeditions.

A churning of shame started up in his fuel tank, and Starscream wanted to grimace despite being in alt-mode. _'Perhaps if I were to do something so far off from those memories, then these_ unpleasant _feelings will stop.'_

From the canopy of trees, a quick red blur caught his attention. Were he just an unobservant twit, he may not have seen it, but his sharp eyesight followed the blur to the best of his ability. When it cleared a range of trees, the blur revealed itself to be a small race car that was zooming through the forest, and the lack of change in speed suggested it hadn't seen them either.

 _'It's the mini-con.'_ Cyclonus gave no sign that he spotted it though, and he would not be subtle in any way if he had, which lent Starscream enough time to kick in his thrusters and dive right towards it. ' _This one is_ mine!'

* * *

"What do _mean_ I'm not fit for duty? I feel great!"

Rad paused outside the command center. Now that the signal had been shut off, he recognized Hot Shot's voice right away, and the tone was irritated. The door slid open, allowing him to see the yellow bot was glaring up at Red Alert. Rad quietly stepped off to the side where Carlos, Rachel and mini-cons were stationed.

Optimus was on the other side of the two bots, and he placed a hand on Hot Shot's shoulder. "Your wounds may have healed, but it would be unwise for you to do any strenuous activity so soon. A line or filament could tear, the plating in your back might fracture; it's better to ease you back into work."

Hot Shot frowned. "But-but you need me!" he said desperately. "You both can't take on the Decepticons by yourself, they already outnumber us!"

"Which is why sending you in wouldn't help anyway." Red Alert said brusquely. "The mission is retrieving the mini-con, not picking fights we aren't prepared for."

"You mean just be cowards." Hot Shot spat. He looked up at Optimus with consternation. "You can't seriously be on his side, sir."

"While I applaud your dedication, Red Alert makes a good point." Optimus replied. "You can move around on your own and transform, but you should be tested for a proper fight." His tone softened a touch. "We'll test you tomorrow; let us worry about this mini-con right now."

Hot Shot's expression was torn between resignation and anger, but his shoulders sagged. "Fine, sir; I'll wait, but I don't have to like it."

Optimus squeezed his shoulder before looking at Red Alert. "Let's go."

The medic nodded. He paused though and glanced down at the group of humans and mini-cons when Carlos stepped forward. "Yes?"

"Does the 'no you can't come with us' apply, well, us?" he asked sheepishly.

Rachel sighed heavily as she rubbed her brow. "Yes, it does." She said firmly. "I'm not exactly in any positon to look after you, and the Autobots would be worried about the mini-con; there's no need to stress them out further."

"Well put, Rachel." Optimus said and the blonde smiled tiredly. "Red Alert, I believe you made something just for this kind of occurrence?"

"Indeed." Red Alert replied. He knelt down and held out his hand. Rad twisted to peer into the palm where a small mechanical orange bird sat. It had bent wings and two different sized eyes. "This is Laserbeak. He can relay the images from our location back here so you can watch. I built him in anticipation of your human curiosity."

 _'Wow, Red Alert wasn't kidding about 'preparing for any outcome'. He must have super guessing skills or something.'_ Rad thought wryly.

Carlos shrank back bashfully, scratching the back of his neck. "Yeah, we are pretty curious."

Red Alert plugged a remote into the console and the screen suddenly showed the three humans staring at Laserbeak. Rad looked up at the screen, and felt a bit bizarre watching his own head staring at the console.

 _'Whoa, we're literally getting a bird's eye view.'_ He thought humorously. He saw Hot Shot cross his arms as he looked away from the two other Autobots as they left the room. Laserbeak's perspective showed a room with a large gateway that Rad remembered teleporting in through once. It had been surreal and trippy, but he could have done without the nauseas sick-to-your-stomach-feeling. Right now the wavy image in the gate was that of a forest, and Laserbeak shut down, leaving the screen black.

Rad noticed Rachel shifting on her foot, her lips pressed tightly together. "Are you okay-" he stopped himself. _'Of course she's not alright.'_ He thought to himself. "Um, do you want to go back home?"

Rachel glanced at him with a raised brow. "And leave two pre-teens here alone with a giant robot? I don't think so." She huffed, but sent a sheepish glance up at Hot Shot. "No offense."

Carlos crossed his arms morosely. "You know, _I'm_ not the one who runs head first into things."

Rad sent his friend a mock hurt glare. "Really? That was low." He looked back up at the screen as Laserbeak came online once more, and the little bird-bot soared into the sky and far as its eyes could see, there were nothing but-

"What happened to all those trees?" Hot Shot asked abruptly. There was a large area in which nothing but tree stumps remained. "Is that normal?"

"No, it's not." Rad said quietly. From the corner of his eye, he saw Rachel stiffen up and narrow her eyes, but didn't say anything. Behind him he could hear the mini-cons twittering to each other, snippets of their conversation largely about what else they were going to see and the fact there was a larger group than before made the emotions of wonder and awe he felt from them almost overpower his own anger.

Rad glanced up at Rachel again, but noticed her face had turned pale as her eyes seemed cloudy and she grimaced while her sprained ankle wriggled. "You don't look so good. Maybe you need some air."

"Yeah, maybe I do. It's been a long day." His cousin muttered. She hobbled off to the entrance, and Rad trailed after her.

It was still a bit disconcerting to feel the mini-cons' emotions, and it disoriented him a bit. "How was your day? You're still doing fine, right?"

Rachel glanced down at him for a moment. "Yes, but I'll be happier when tomorrow gets here," she grimaced, "no more almost being run over by someone who can't see five feet in front of them."

Rad's eyes widened, and he hurriedly looked his cousin over. "Is that why you're ankle is still sore? Did you have to jump out of the way?"

"No, someone pulled me back." Rachel sighed heavily. "I embarrassed myself not only in front of Marty, but a new professor at the school. Some first impression, huh?"

Rad snorted. "At least it wasn't as bad as it could have gone," his gaze turned solemn, "and it could have."

Rachel nodded morosely. "Got that right." She grumbled.

Rad glanced back up at her, but didn't say anything as they reached the exit. He left his cousin at the entrance as she leaned against the rock wall while he explored the immediate vicinity. It was all rocks and boulders until a part of the way down, where the trees began to clump together and thinned out as the mountain got higher. He could even see on a slope that there were still several trees even so far up.

When a sudden downpour drenched him, Rad jerked back and looked up in confusion at the fact the sun was still out. His clothing was wet so he didn't imagine it. _'Maybe it's one of those freak sun showers.'_ He thought as he wiped his face clean with a sleeve, but gave up when it only spread the water around.

Abruptly, Rad felt something the air. It was like being refreshed, and the smell of the air after it rained filled his nose, along with the pinpricks of feeling ancient and tired. It was a dizzying mix, and as his head swam he almost missed the startled scream his cousin let out.

Rad jumped to attention, and found Rachel looked even sicker as she stared down at the forest. The blond followed her gaze, and his eyes widened as he saw that there were several large tree branches emerging from the forest and making their way up the mountain.

Behind Rachel, Carlos and Hot Shot ran to the exit. "What-" The yellow bot cut himself off, his expression shocked. "What's going on out here? Can these trees do that?"

Carlos' eyes were wide. "I don't believe, I can see it too!" he then looked nervous. "But, no, they aren't supposed to do that."

For a moment, Hot Shot looked relieved at being believed again, but when the branches got closer, to the cave, he hurried to bring out his blaster. "Carlos, get Rachel back inside fast!" he looked over at Rad, but they both knew he'd never be able to reach the entrance in time. "Run!"

Rachel's eyes widened. " _What?!"_ she shouted, but Carlos kept moving her along.

Rad watched as Hot Shot fired at several branches, but before their eyes they glowed and grew back before speeding further up the mountain. Hot Shot said something angrily under his breath, and fled back into the tunnel.

The branches spread out until they covered the entrance, but when more started to swivel in his direction, Rad hurried back _down_ the mountain. _'I just hope Kero knows which one this is.'_ He pulled out his cell phone as he ducked behind another tree, and gritted his teeth as he wasn't low enough for a signal to get through.

Rad kept his distance from the branches, as he had a sinking feeling that this was the work of a Sakura Card. It wouldn't do to rush in without knowing for sure; he hadn't been lying to Hot Shot-if aliens, what else? The second the bars appeared, he hit the call button.

 _"Hello? Rad?"_

"I think we got a Sakura Card out here. I'm in Black Hills and there's all these branches covering the entrance to the Autobot's cave." Rad reported.

Kero's tone because frantic. " _What? Did they see?"_

Rad rolled his eyes. He couldn't help it really. "That's what you're asking about? It's just Hot Shot, but Carlos saw it too." His eyes widened. "He…saw it too." He repeated. "Why couldn't he and Alexis see Create's dragon before?"

"I'll explain later-focus, Rad!" Kero shouted.

The sound made Rad wince, but he snapped back to attention. "Right. Well, are there any cards that can sprout branches at a rapid and uncontrollable rate?" All he got was silence. "Kero?"

" _Is there anything else? Is it raining?"_

"No, but there was this freak downpour. It soaked me." Rad looked down at himself. "In fact, not long after that the branches starting going wild."

 _"I was afraid of this."_ Kero said worriedly. " _This is the work of Wood and Rain. On her own Wood is rather gentle, but with Rain egging her on, I don't know how much of the tree that's inside Wood will grow. She could make it up the mountain, or her roots could dig into the town."_

Rad gaped at the thought. He could all too easily picture the roots sticking out of the ground, houses cracked and roads demolished. "Got it-take out Rain and Wood will follow, right?"

 _"You'd better hope so."_ Kero said grimly. _"Good luck."_

"Thanks." Rad cut the call and took out his key. He held it out in front of him. "Release!" The key grew, and he twirled the staff before grabbing one of the cards. He wasn't going into this without a plan. Hot Shot could survive without air, but he wasn't risking Carlos and Rachel's safety.

He saw a pile of leaves which had fallen onto the ground, and when he remembered what he'd done earlier for Kero, he tossed Sweet into the air. "Change those leaves into candies, Sweet!" The card glowed, and the fairy flew over to the pile. Her wand tapped the green foliage, and before Rad's eyes they all turned into hard candies. "Thank you." He said sincerely. Sweet smiled at him before turning back into her card form.

Rad pocketed it and scooped the treats up. _'Hope Rain's got a sweet tooth.'_ He followed the trail the braches came from, and before long he saw the heard of the tree with a little blue cloud hovering over it, water pouring onto the trunk as more branches grew out of it.

The blond kept behind a tree, and tossed one of the candies out to the trunk. The water pouring out under the cloud slowed, and in a puff, the physical form of Rain appeared. She was completely blue, with a jester's hat on her head that had rain droplets running on the bottom of the hat's sides. She was wearing a shirt with puffy sleeves and her collar was sticking out in many points that all ended with the same rain drops hanging off. On her forehead was a rain drop gem and her blue eyes narrowed as she stared at the candy.

Rad tossed out another one, this one landing just short of the first. Rain tilted her head, riding her cloud closer to the ground to inspect them. The trunk behind her stopped growing branches, and Rad tossed out yet another one, this one closer to himself. He just needed to get Rain far enough from Wood for this to work. If Wood didn't do anything without Rain, he hoped it meant it wouldn't keep growing.

Rain crept closer, poking the candy as she made a sound not unlike she was gargling water. She stiffened when Rad stepped out from behind the tree, making sure to keep the sealing wand behind his back. She narrowed her eyes, but he smiled in what he hoped was a disarming way.

"Hey there, you probably wouldn't want a candy that was on the ground." he held out his hand where the rest resided. Rain looked between him and his hand, and Rad held the candies out towards her. "I know it was you who drenched me." Rain stiffened again, but Rad's smile never wavered. "I'm not mad, it was pretty funny. So, are we cool?"

Rain tilted her head. Before Rad could react, she snatched the candies out of his hand and flew above his head. He had another shower bearing down on him, and he coughed and sputtered as he ran out of the waterfall.

"That's it!" he said indignantly. "If I get a cold I'm so blaming you!" Rain only laughed, her voice high and bubbly. It was abruptly cut off when Rad pulled out Windy. Her eyes widened and she turned to run, but Rad was having none of that. "Become a binding chain, Windy!" he aimed the wand at the card, and in a blast of windy the yellow and green spirit was circling around Rain as she struggled against the stronger card.

Rad pointed the staff at Rain, the sealing circle appearing beneath him. "Return to your power confine, Sakura Card!" The wings on the wand glowed and enlarged as the shell card appeared at its tip. Rain continued struggling to get free even as she began dissolving into blue wisps that were vacuumed into the card.

When the circle faded from beneath Rad, he held out his hand as the card landed in his grip. He couldn't see the bottom half of Rain when she was on her cloud, but saw now she was wearing checkered puffy pants and her boots curled at the tips inward. She had her hands held out over her stomach, and in them was a large rain drop, but that only drew Rad's eye to the fact her blue forehead gem was dark purple instead.

The blond tucked Rain into his pocket and cautiously approached Wood. She rustled at his approach, and her trunk glowed. He readied himself for an attack, but Rad was stunned when all of Wood's branches began receding. Rad looked worriedly at the cave, and was relieved to see that the entrance was clear.

When he looked back, Rad jerked back in surprise. He'd been expecting Wood to be some sort of tree, but what stood before him was a very tiny green and yellow woman. Her long hair leafy hair flowed out behind her and over her shoulders over a dress. She had a vine and lead tiara and on her forehead was a strange green pattern like cut-out sun rays.

Wood smiled gently at him, and before his eyes she shrank back down into a card. Rad blinked as he caught Wood, dumbfounded that she gave herself up so easily. Even Windy hadn't done that and Kero said she was gentle too. _'Did you just work through your anger first then?'_

Still, it would be impolite not to appreciate this. "Thank you." He set Wood inside his pocket as well, and after shrinking his staff, hurried back up the mountain.

Now that the Sakura Card crisis was over, he needed to make sure Rachel and Carlos were okay.

* * *

"You creep!" Starscream twisted deftly out of the way as Cyclonus went careening through the air. Both mechs transformed as the latter turned around and glared at the jet. "You think you're so smart, do you? Thinking you can just zoom in and take the mini-con!"

"It's not as though being intelligent is a particularly hard thing to be given my present company." Starscream retorted dryly.

Cyclonus hissed and clenched his fists. "You calling me stupid?!"

Starscream stared at him flatly. "I believe you just did it for me." He smirked as Cyclonus looked ready to pop a fuel line, but frowned as he put himself back on task. He glanced back slightly, and in his periphery he could see two Autobots approaching. The Prime and a blue one that looked vaguely familiar, but he didn't dwell on it too long as neither looked to have seen them yet.

Putting as much force into his voice as he could, Starscream sneered, "Don't just fly there gawking, we mustn't let the Autobots obtain the mini-con!"

Cyclonus' gaze snapped over to the two fast approaching Autobots and he raised his arm, a manic grin stretching across his lips. "Those Autoscraps should have stayed back in their base like the cowards they are!" he cackled and took aim.

Starscream sneered once more as he slipped away. _'That was almost too easy.'_ He thought snidely, but wasn't really surprised. He turned his attention back to the mini-con, and frustration welled up inside him as he lost sight of where the red race car had fled too. _'Slag it all! I had it in my sights!'_

More laser fire erupted below him, trees crashing and angry voices shouting loudly. He could recognize Megatron's bellow amongst it, and knew that he and Demolishor must have been drawn in due to Cyclonus' cackling.

 _'I_ should _probably go back.'_ Starscream thought to himself, but the pull of the mini-con was just too great. _'It's just two Autobots, Prime or not.'_ He dove towards the top of the trees, as logic dictated that the mini-con would be more likely to get _away_ from the fighting.

While he certainly hadn't been a late addition to the war, he had always disdained of using mini-cons back then. He'd seen it as cheating, and it had irked him fiercely, so arrogantly secure of his own prowess that he'd gotten a rude awakening during actual combat. Now, now there was no hesitation-he'd get that mini-con and he would _use_ it.

So when he caught that glimmer of red against the sun, he activated his propulsion for a sharp burst of speed. He transformed and felt the undercarriage of the vehicle in his servo, his digits wrapping around it tightly.

Starscream cackled as he grinded to a halt, smug euphoria coursing through him. "I did it! My very own mini-con!" he narrowed his optics and smirked down at the wriggling racer. "I think I'll call you Swindle."

The racer beeped, the pitch high and sounded almost angry. He didn't care though, because he _got it_.

"Starscream!" The seeker was drawn abruptly back into reality as he sharply looked up. The trees to the clearing he'd landed in were cut aside as Megatron barrelled through, a scowl on his faceplate. "Hand over that mini-con."

The jet frowned. "What? You told me-"

"That was then." Megatron snapped. "Now give it to me, or I will take it from you."

Starscream gritted his denta, grounding them together. The mini-con beeped frantically as his grip tightened. Why couldn't he respect him? He'd been loyal. He'd done his job. _Why, why, why?_ _'If you won't give me your respect I'll make you then!'_

His optics flickered to the forest behind Megatron, catching sight of red and blue. Starscream darted up into the air, and slammed the mini-con onto him, activating the cannons on his shoulders and took aim. "Firing null laser cannons!"

Two charged beams of powerful red energy shot from the cannons and left a trail of destruction as they tore through the trees and left large craters in their wake. Starscream was surprised by the level of power he'd gained, and smirked when he saw Megatron's angry faceplate.

His smirk morphed into a nasty grin when he landed. "There's no way they could have escaped that. I have just eliminated two Autobots in one strike! I am invincible!"

Megatron growled. "Don't think you've killed Optimus Prime so easily." He said darkly. His fists clenched as he looked at the smoking rubble, but his expression turned cold. "While you were playing neutral with that coward, Prime was leading his army against mine; he would not have let that strike hit."

Starscream stiffened. Even…even with this display of power, the victory that could be achieved, was he always going to be nothing next to _Optimus Prime?_ "I suppose we'll see then, _sir_." He retorted. "This mini-con though is mine, or would you still like to try and take it from me?"

Megatron's expression darkened. "Dismissed."

Starscream smirked again. _'That's what I thought.'_

When Cyclonus and Demolishor came stumbling through the trees, their optics taking in the damage, he ignored them and their questions. He had a simulation to break.

* * *

Rad didn't know if things being quiet were a good sign or not, but he trekked on wards into the base. He could hear quiet speaking, and in the command center he found Rachel, Hot Shot, Carlos and the mini-cons all hunkered together. "Is everyone alright?"

" _You're okay!"_ High Wire shouted and rushed up to hug Rad. The blond left out an 'ouf' as he was lifted and twirled around.

Rachel sighed, relieved as she hobbled over to meet him. "How did you get back in?"

Rad waited for the dizziness to clear before he answered. It also gave him time to think of _how_ to answer. "It was the craziest thing. One minute those branches were all there, and the next they just _disappeared_. Do you think it could've been something the Decepticons cooked up?"

Hot Shot looked worried. "That's a thought." He muttered, but when Rad glanced up at him, a grin stretched across his mouth. "There's nothing those 'Cons could throw at us that we can't beat! It doesn't matter how this was fixed, just that things are back to normal."

Carlos coughed, his expression distinctly embarrassed. "Uh, I've been thinking. You know what you said about the dragon?" Hot Shot nodded warily. "I…I'm sorry for not believing you. If this can happen, I shouldn't have doubted you'd be telling the truth about that."

"Look who's maturing." Rad teased.

Carlos huffed and crossed his arms. "Shove it."

Rad chuckled and Rachel shook her head. His attention is caught by the sounds of new footsteps, but his eyes widen when Optimus and Red Alert walk in. Their frames are signed, and they look worse for wear. "What happened to you two?"

"Starscream." Red Alert said, his tone dark and almost a growl.

Optimus vented heavily. "He gained control of the mini-con, and we were almost caught in his strike. Had we not teleported back, we likely would have been severely damaged-or worse."

Hot Shot straightened up, his fists clenched. "This is why I should've gone with you!" he shouted. "You can't keep me on the sides anymore. What's it gonna take before you let me back in the field?"

Red Alert's mouth tightened. "Watch what you say, Optimus is still our leader-"

"He's right." Optimus said tiredly. Hot Shot blinked, and Red Alert's head snapped towards the red and blue bot. "Hot Shot, after you take the kids home, report back for training drills. Complete them, and we'll talk about being on active duty."

Hot Shot grinned and saluted. "Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!" he said enthusiastically. He looks down at the humans and minis, his expression bashful. "Sorry to do this, but you mind if we go now?"

Rachel nodded. "After today, I could use a rest."

Rad patted his pocket, and seconded the notion. He just wanted to get home, and take a nap.

* * *

Taking aim, Starscream fires upon the holographic simulations. The resounding blast is enough to send Cyclonus and Demolishor scrambling for cover, but he could care less about that. He laughs maniacally as the training ground is reduced to a smoking rubble. When no thoughts of Overcast appear, Starscream grinned.

 _'I've banished him finally. He will no longer be there in my thoughts to hold me back.'_ He thought triumphantly. "All this power. I must be the most powerful Decepticon around-even more than Megatron!"

As he indulged in his power high, he either didn't notice, or care that his every word was being heard by Megatron, who glared malevolently down at the cackling seeker on the screen.

 _'You will regret this, Starscream. One day you will dearly regret this.'_

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, let's finally get some context in here. In an _Armada_ comic and TF Wiki itself, Skywarp is acknowledged to be Starscream's cousin. Can't say much about Overcast without giving away something that is either going to be hilarious or creepy down the line; just know that from the descriptions Overcast _is_ supposed to be Skyfire, but I can't exactly use that name-which I will get into later. **

**Also, I'm fully aware that I changed aspects of Starscream's _Armada_ backstory, but I'm gonna wring out character wherever I can, darn it!**


	11. Chapter 10: Sleep Tight Part 1

**Chapter 10: Good Night, Sleep Tight Part 1**

 _(Alternative Title: Cabin Fever, Not Really A Fever)_

* * *

"You seem really happy."

Rachel chuckled. "And why wouldn't I be? I just got that cast off my foot. I don't have to keep bugging you now to drive me around." She tapped her chin. "Speaking of which, we'll need to start coming up with how we're gonna total you. Any thoughts?"

"Not like, _actually_ total me, right?" Hot Shot sounded nervous, but Rachel was quick to reassure him.

"Don't worry. We just need to make it _look_ bad. It'd probably be best to stick to either early morning or late at night. Just enough people need to see it before we get you to disappear." She explained.

"Huh, and how am I going to do that without moving on my own?" Hot Shot retorted.

Rachel blinked. She hadn't thought that far honesty. "Hey, it's Saturday-give me a break. My brain takes a vacation on the weekends. Let's hear you come up with something better."

"Oh, I can't. Why? Because I'm finally back on duty!" Hot Shot crowed, his rear tires bouncing on its absorbers.

"Hey, you're not supposed to be alive!" Rachel hissed. She checked around the street to make sure no one saw the yellow bot had been doing an impromptu dance. People were out and about, but the thing about Saturday mornings was that not _many_ were out. Had she not needed to get her cast taken off, she'd still be in bed too. "I'm happy for you too, but you can shake your tailpipe back in your base."

"I did." Hot Shot said dryly. "Red Alert told me to quit fooling around, and Optimus _agreed_ with him. Only the mini-cons wanted to join in."

"Sounds like you really need another friend." Rachel observed. "Isn't there a way to contact your planet-Cybertron, wasn't it?-and call in reinforcements? The Decepticons outnumber you; they did even before you got hurt."

Hot Shot vented in annoyance. "Even if we could, we shouldn't _have_ to call in the cavalry. Those Decepticreeps should be running scared of us, not the other way around."

Rachel couldn't weigh in on what it was like to fight in a war, but she could understand his frustration well enough. "Believe me, you're not the only who wishes the Decepticons would go running. The fact is they aren't though, and I think the best way to deal with your frustration is channel it into something constructive, _then_ wail on the 'Cons if it'll make you feel better."

"Hmm, would it count if I wailed on Red Alert instead? He kept hounding me to take it easy and last night sent me to my quarters after my drills." Hot Shot groused. "He thinks I'm nothing but a sparkling; he always has. And I get the feeling Optimus agrees with him on that too."

Rachel patted the dashboard. It was all she could do, because _she_ certainly wasn't the one to speak to about this. Had it been her taking care of Hot Shot, she'd definitely do her best to keep him safe, and agreeing with Red Alert likely wasn't going to get him in a better mood.

Her eyes flickered to a shop just ahead, and she nodded at it. "Stop here. I had to skip breakfast to make the appointment and I am starving right now."

Hot Shot slowly halted at the curb. "What's eating like? I see people do it on that television in my room, but I don't know what the big deal is."

Rachel laughed quietly. "Well, first things first-we need food to survive. It'd take too long to explain, but just know that it's our fuel and helps keep us going."

"Ah." Hot Shot sounded bored, and Rachel shook her head. He said he wasn't a kid, but he had about as much of an attention span as one.

The blonde ducked into Rhona's Bakery and bought herself a brownie and a cupcake for Rad. She checked the street for cars as she crossed over, but the sudden screeching had her snapping her head up. She gasped as a yellow and purple motorbike came barrelling towards her, and Rachel lunged forward, bumping into Hot Shot's door as the cyclist zoomed past. "Watch the road, jackass!" she snarled after him.

The cyclist just kept on going. Rachel furrowed her brow though, adrenaline pumping through her as she took in every detail. When it clicked where she'd seen it before, Rachel screamed after the rider again. "Jerk!" she stopped herself from hitting the yellow vehicle in front of her, and ran her hand over her hair. "Sorry you had to see me freak out, but that guy almost ran me down yesterday."

"What? Want me to teach him a lesson?" Hot Shot asked.

Rachel exhaled heavily. She tentatively wriggled her ankle, but was relieved when she felt no discomfort. "I'll survive. If I was scared of being run down I certainly wouldn't be helping you alien cars." She tried to joke, but Hot Shot sank on his wheels.

"Are you sure? I'm supposed to keep you safe."

"And you are." Rachel assured him. "Now let's get going. I wanna surprise Rad with this cupcake before he wakes up."

"Would he really still be asleep?" Hot Shot asked. "It's almost ten!"

"Trust me; kids tend to sleep a lot more on the weekends." Rachel blinked as her phone rang. She heard the car door close as she held it up to her ear. "Hello?"

 _"Rachel, it's Alexis."_

The blonde raised a brow. "Hi, Alexis. Not that it's not great to talk to you, but why are you calling me?"

Alexis stuttered on the other end. _"Well, you see, uh, um. I was helping my parents carry my mom's things to the garage, and Carlos went by. I asked him if he was going to see our 'friends.' He tried to deny it and say he was going to library, but if he actually went to the library he'd know it was closed on the weekends!"_

Rachel tilted her head. "Alexis, please get to the point."

 _"Oh-oh, I didn't mean to ramble like that!"_ Alexis said flustered. " _I don't think he should go up to the Autobot base alone. And I don't think Grindor is going to be much help to keep Carlos out of trouble."_

"You know, for someone who claims she can't stand Carlos, you sound awfully worried about him." Rachel said teasingly.

Alexis sputtered. " _Of course I worry! He's a reckless risk-taking slacker who only puts effort into thing that will get him in trouble."_

"I was only kidding. I actually think it's pretty cute you care so much. Makes me glad Rad has a friend like you." Rachel said.

Alexis sucked in a sharp breath, her voice soft and dreamy. _"You really think I'm cute?"_ she coughed suddenly. _"I mean, can I go with you? My parents say it's alright."_

Rachel leaned back as she thought it over. Alexis hadn't been too interested in the Autobots before; was it concern over Carlos or was she starting to thaw towards the aliens? In either case, it really was sweet. "Alright. We'll come and get you."

 _"Thank you!"_

Rachel closed her phone. "We'll make a quick stop at the apartment, and then go pick up Alexis, sound good?"

"Sure."

* * *

"So, you're saying that if someone gets suspicious enough, they could find out about the cards?" Rad asked. He'd just wrung from Kero the explanation for Carlos being able to see Wood. Sure, he'd gotten an explanation that the cards had a type of cloaking power, but now he wished he'd tried to get more out of him on it. _'Better late than never.'_

"And that would be bad, really bad." Kero said as his glow died down. He floated onto the Sakura Book and sighed. "I'm sure I don't have to tell you that there would be people out there who would jump at the chance to use magic for their own ends."

 _"Just like the Decepticons would use us for theirs."_ High Wire said grimly.

Rad frowned, and noticed Kero give High Wire a suspicious glare. "He just agreed with you."

Kero puffed up. "Well of course he did, even the tin can knows I'm right."

High Wire shook his fist at Kero, but Rad kept him from trying to attack the plushy. _"One of these days…"_

Rad rolled his eyes before getting back to the issue at hand. "We're screwed if people see the cards, but we're also in trouble if the cards don't give a damn about _being_ seen."

" _And_ , you still need to get Create before that mecha finds out what he really has." Kero added.

Rad grimaced as he sank lower into his bed. "Yeah, really needed you to remind me I got that hanging over my head." He muttered. "I've tried reasoning and getting Windy to talk to Create, but nothing's worked so far."

"You'll think of something. You did manage to trick Rain after all." Kero said.

Rad leaned onto his hand. "That's true." He said thoughtfully. _'Create already thinks I'm a liar, so I don't know if tricking it will help me. I just gotta keep at it.'_ He looked up when he heard the landline phone ringing, and shushed both Kero and High Wire as he went to answer it. "Hello?"

" _Hi, Rad."_

"Kelly?" Rad furrowed his brow. "How did you get this number?"

" _I asked Alexis. I wanted to go to the movies with her, but she said she was going up to Black Hills with Rachel and Carlos. So, um, I thought if you weren't doing anything you'd maybe wanna go with me instead!"_

Rad blinked. The last part had been said so quickly he had to take a moment to decipher it. When he did, he was torn between being a second choice, but on the other hand… _'It's been a while since I've seen a movie.'_ He thought excitedly. "Sure, just let me call Rachel and ask her."

" _But don't the mountains interfere with cell range?"_ Kelly asked in confusion.

"They do, but not if she's still on her way there." Rad replied, but left out the part even if his cousin _was_ out of range there was still a Plan B. He quickly dialed up Rachel, but to his frustration he got the 'out of service' signal, so he switched to his other plan. It was embarrassing to be honest, knowing that this was going to be broadcasted to everyone.

 _"Hello?"_

Rad flushed. Just his luck it would be _Optimus_ who answered the command center's terminal. "Hi, Optimus. Uh, is Rachel there? I wouldn't normally call, but she's out of range. I know this is kind of a bother, but she doesn't like it when I go off without telling her."

 _"She worries about you, it's very understandable. You're a sparkling in her eyes."_ Optimus _did_ sound understanding, so Rad crossed his fingers that this was okay. " _She just walked in. Rachel, your cousin wishes to speak with you."_

 _"What is it, Rad?"_

Rad cleared his throat. "You see, Kelly called and wanted me to go to the movies with her. And I wanted to run it by you first, since you tend to freak if I don't."

 _"You're learning."_ Rachel said approvingly. Rad's bashful grin was stricken from his face when abruptly he was reminded that Rachel wasn't the only one who heard him.

" _What?"_ Carlos sounded outraged and horrified. _"You can't go anywhere with Kelly, she's a total weirdo! Nowhere will be a fun place with her around."_

 _"Stop insulting my cousin!"_ Alexis snapped.

" _Settle down."_ Rachel said sternly, and the squabbling was shut down before they could really get at it. It was something Rad envied and admired about Rachel, that she could always do what he couldn't. Even if she'd freak out, Rad was sure Rachel could do a better job at being a Cardcaptor than him too.

 _'Don't go down that road. Ray would never go for it; she's logic and science all the way. She wants to dig up dinosaur bones for a living!'_ Rad scolded himself. "I'm just gonna hang up now before I embarrass myself anymore." Rad said quietly, but Rachel got one last word in.

 _"Be sure to take High Wire with you and don't be surprised if Kelly's dad is mad a boy is taking her on a date."_

"Gross! Girls have cooties, why would I want to date one?" Rad grumbled, his face flushing brighter. Honestly, why would Rachel assume this was a _date_ of all things?

He glanced up and saw both Kero and High Wire peering around the door at him, and rolled his eyes when he saw Kero's sly grin. "Rad~ What's this about a date? You sure are growing up fast, aren't you?"

"It's not a date." Rad insisted. "Kelly offered the movies, the _movies_ \- who would turn that down? Speaking of which; since Rachel's going to be out with Carlos and Alexis at the Autobots' base, you can watch TV if you want, Kero." He stared at the guardian sternly. "I don't wanna come back though to find all the ice cream gone. Rachel will think I did it."

"Oh that was one time." Kero said dismissively.

Rad rolled his eyes. "Come on, High Wire, let's go meet Kelly." The mini-con beeped excitedly as he followed Rad out of the apartment.

They stopped abruptly, and Rad looked flatly at him. High Wire rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, and transformed into his bike mode. When they reached the elevator, Rad groaned and raced back to retrieve his key, his cell phone and the Sakura Cards.

It never hurt to keep them on hand.

* * *

Rachel rubbed her brow; she could feel a headache coming on just from the way Alexis and Carlos were glaring at each other. "Don't make me give you both a time out, you know I will."

Carlos jerked his chin up defiantly at the blonde. "You're not in charge of us."

Alexis clenched her fists. "Don't talk to Rachel that way!"

Rachel shook her head, glancing down at both Sureshock and Grindor, both of who were sedately standing beside her. "At least you two are behaving." Sureshock beeped something, to which Alexis abruptly looked at the orange mini-con mortified.

"I am _not_ overreacting. Carlos has always made fun of Kelly and I'm sick of it." Sureshock beeped something else, and Rachel knew it must have been rude given the way Alexis' cheeks burned red.

Carlos snickered. "You just got burned by your mini-con." His laughter was cut off as he squawked, staring at Grindor in disbelief. "I do _so_ take things seriously."

"Be-have." Rachel stressed, her tone severe and leaving no room for argument. It was a voice she reserved for when she got pushed to the edge of her patience. Both kids, having experienced the 'voice' one time or another when she babysat them piped down immediately, though they kept glaring at each other. _'As long as they aren't arguing anymore.'_ She looked up at the Autobots. "Sorry about that."

Hot Shot looked highly amused by the antics of the children. "It's funny watching them yell. Really breaks up the boredom."

Red Alert made a disgusted sound. "Given your own childishness, such squabbling _would_ be something which you could only understand."

Hot Shot scowled at the medic. "You're just mad that I'm back on duty. Can't boss _me_ around anymore."

"Does your definition of me being bossy include 'you whine like a sparkling until Optimus makes you listen to me because otherwise you won't?' Because if so, then we'd be in agreement." Red Alert said coolly.

Hot Shot's optic twitched. "What do you know?" he snapped petulantly.

"I know that you've managed to get the children on board with your delusion about a flying lizard." Red Alert retorted.

"I'm not making it up, fra-"

"Enough." Optimus said sternly. He glanced down at Rachel, who stared back empathetically with a glance at the two kids.

Overhead, the alarm began blaring. Hot Shot crossed his arms as Red Alert walked toward the command terminal, bringing up the mini-con signal.

"It's…strange, sir." He said, his tone hesitant.

"How so?" Optimus walked up beside the medic to peer at the screen. Rachel craned her neck up, and saw a world view map of a city with faint waves emitting from an area in the southern part.

"The signal is weak, and as such it's harder to pinpoint. It could be anywhere in this city."

Alexis peered up at the map, her expression torn between reluctance and genuine excitement. "I know that city. My cousin, Kelly," she sent Carlos a smug look, "went there with her parents for a trip. It's got a huge underground shopping center and a bunch of old subway tunnels." She clenched her fists. "Why, if I were President, I would use those old tunnels for something more constructive than gathering dirt, and then I would work on ending world-hunger and-"

"Chill out, Alexis, you ain't President _yet."_ Carlos pointed out.

"It will help us though, now that we know what we're getting into. Do you happen to know anything else about these tunnels?" Optimus questioned.

Alexis blinked, her expression contorting in surprise before she nodded tentatively. "They have a working subway system, so you should be on the look-out for the trains."

"Thank you." Optimus said. "Alright troops, let's move out-"

"Optimus?" Carlos interrupted. Hot Shot jerked back in surprise, and Red Alert's mouth tightened in disapproval. Optimus though only gazed at Carlos stoically. "Since you gotta use tunnels, and it's connected to a shopping center, do you think we could go with you this time?" Alexis groaned and slapped her forehead, and Rachel's expression hardened.

"You have Laserbeak; he'll show you the inside." Optimus replied.

"I know that, it's just…well, what if the mini-con is _in_ the mall? You can't exactly go there without gaining major suspicion." Carlos explained. "You're gonna need someone who can duck in, and your mini-cons would stand out too." He then gestured to Rachel. "Plus, it's not like Rachel couldn't come along and keep an eye on us."

Optimus vented heavily. "Team? What do you think?"

"It's alright with me." Hot Shot said.

"There is…some merit to what Carlos says." Red Alert added reluctantly. "And Rachel would provide responsible adult supervision."

"Rachel?" Optimus prompted.

The blonde frowned. Rad _was_ going to be at the movies, and he did have High Wire with him. She wouldn't have to worry about him for at least two hours. She glanced down at Carlos and Alexis; the former stared at her pleadingly, while the latter kept her expression blank. Alexis' face though did start to turn an interesting shade of pink and scrunch with nervousness the longer Rachel stared at her though.

Eventually, Rachel slumped her shoulders with resignation. "It's fine with me." Carlos whooped, but quieted down when the blonde gave him a withering stare. "Ground rules first; we stick together, and you'd better keep in sight." She gave the mini-cons a significant stare. "And be sure to keep them in _your_ sight, understood?"

Sureshock nodded and Grindor saluted her.

"If that's all," Optimus said weightily, "then team, let's roll out."

* * *

When Rad had gotten Kelly's address, he'd had no idea that _this_ was where she'd lived. He stared at the two-story house that sat on the edge of town, just on the way to Black Hills. _'At least it explains why Alexis looked at it when we passed by.'_ He thought, but found something else familiar about the house, with its soft blue walls, and the tiny gate that fenced off the front of the property.

Rad shook his head and leaned High Wire against the fence. "It's nice." He heard High Wire beep in agreement, and made his way up the patio walk-way. He'd barely knocked on the door when abruptly it was pulled open. He stared in nervous confusion, his hand still raised, up at the hard-faced man giving him the stink eye. "Um, are you Kelly's dad?"

The man narrowed his eyes. "Yes, and you're that boy she's going to the movies with."

Rad dropped his hand to his side, trying not to shrink back from the cold tone. "Yeah, my name's Rad."

"Then listen closely, _Rad_ , for I will only say this once." Mr. Li said quietly, but his tone was no less severe. "You will treat Kelly well, and bring her home when the movie is over. If Kelly says anything about you being mean or nasty to her, I will find you. _Understood?"_

Rad was immensely confused about why he was being threatened. "Of course, Mr. Li." He said cowed. "But this isn't a date." He wasn't surprised when the man's expression didn't change, and knew any further protests wouldn't be believed either.

And so for one uncomfortable minute after the next, Rad was stuck awkwardly fidgeting on the porch, avoiding eye contact with an overprotective father. When Kelly finally came into the room, skating around the hall to slid to a stop at the door, did Rad resist the urge to yell at her. _'I can't believe you took so long!'_

"Sorry I got held up, but Mom wouldn't let me go unless I decided to wear the helmet." Kelly knocked her gloved hand against the helmet on her head with a pout.

Rad slumped in relief when Mr. Li looked down at Kelly, his expression softening immediately. "You're safety is important to us." He said softly. "Have a nice time and watch the streets."

Kelly sighed and nodded, giving her father a one-armed hug before skating past Rad. She turned and waved at him. "See ya!"

"Bye!" Mr. Li called back. Any warmth that had been on his face was gone when he glared back down at Rad, who stiffened. "Remember what I said."

The blond nodded rapidly. "I will, sir!" he said before flee-uh, _rapidly walking_ , back to High Wire. He climbed onto the mini-con's seat, and peddled away as fast as his legs could take him.

"Hey, wait up!" Kelly shouted as she tried to catch up, and skated alongside Rad when he slowed his pace. She rubbed the back of her neck, her expression sheepish. "Sorry about my dad. He's been a bit…paranoid since Mom's brother moved to town."

"You mean he's not always like that?" Rad asked. Quite honestly, he really didn't believe her. That man was _scary_.

Kelly tapped her chin, but shrugged after a moment. It really didn't do much to settle Rad's nerves. "He's always been good to me and Mom. He's just mean to people he doesn't like." She blinked, and flushed when Rad grimaced. "Sorry, I guess that means you."

The blond slumped, and could feel High Wire's amusement through their connection. His own suspicion overrode High Wire's feelings. "Wait, why does your dad think this is a date? I thought you said this was because Alexis wasn't going with you?"

Kelly hunched her shoulders defensively. "It _is_. Dad just jumped to conclusions," she blushed and looked down at the ground, "not that Mom helped by teasing me about it."

"Parents can sometimes be the worst, can't they?" Rad asked. Kelly chuckled and nodded. "So, what movie did you wanna see?"

Kelly blinked. "What's out?"

"Are you telling me you wanted to go to the movies and don't even know what you want to see?" Rad asked flatly. Kelly blushed again, smiling in embarrassment and Rad sighed. "Maybe there's something with talking animals."

Rad felt High Wire's amusement come back, and he was _not_ amused by it.

* * *

Rachel was self-aware enough to know that not only was she beginning to even irritate herself, but that Red Alert was probably regretting letting her ride in his cabin. She couldn't help herself though; when they stepped on those panels in the base, and these orange jumpsuits appeared on them, she'd immediately gone into curious scientist mode.

The bulk of their conversation in the tunnels so far had consisted of this:

"Where did you find the materials to make these suits? What kind of fabric is this?"

"It's not fabric. It's a soft mesh I'd modified in case you managed to convince Optimus to come along with us. Hot Shot is the reckless one."

"Hey!"

Ignoring that, Rachel had continued with her Q&A. "So it's meant to keep us safe, huh? How much weight can it withstand? What about breathing? And why is it _orange?_ "

"It can withstand enough to save you from a fall, it's bright so we can find you easier should you get lost, and…" Red Alert faltered, his tone stumbling. "Breathing?"

"You gave us suits without any kind of oxygen system? What if we were trapped somewhere with limited air? How about a communications system for when simply seeing us isn't an option? I'm putting my trust in you that you'll keep the kids alive."

"You're asking a lot of questions."

"I take the safety of these kids seriously. I know the mini-cons at least have some protection by virtue of being valuable to the 'Cons."

"Right. I'll take into account your concerns. It would not due for me to call myself an Autobot could I not keep the inhabitants on this planet safe. You're trust will not be misplaced."

Rachel had let up after that as she fiddled around with Laserbeak's camera mode, but still inquired about the durability once more. Red Alert remained patient through it all, but she still felt the need to apologize. "Sorry about all this though."

"There is nothing wrong with being concerned for your charges. Nor is there anything wrong with receiving feedback." Red Alert explained.

Hot Shot huffed, driving in closer to Red Alert. "Then why do you get so growly when _I_ say something?"

"Because," Red Alert's tone became strained, "what you say is _not_ feedback. It's whining."

"Don't start, you two." Optimus slowed at a fork in the tunnels. Both the yellow bot and the ambulance also halted. "Hot Shot, you will go with the children and mini-cons. Keep vigilant."

Hot Shot backed up suddenly, causing the mini-cons and kids inside to let out a short, startled yell. "What? Are you serious? I thought I was done with playing guardian?"

"Hot Shot…" Optimus trailed off warningly, and the yellow vehicle sank on his wheels.

"Alright." He muttered. "Rachel, get in and let's go."

The blonde sighed as she scooted into the cramped back seat as she was pressed into the window side door. "It's been a while since I've been in a back seat."

Alexis turned in her seat to look at Rachel. "Do you want my seat? I'd switch with you if you want."

Rachel blinked. "Uh, no, that's alright. Hot Shot can just tint his windows if we come across the shopping center so people don't see you." She didn't know why Alexis slumped in disappointment, but had little time to dwell on it when Carlos made a crack about Kelly having cooties.

"What are 'cooties?' Any should we be worried if Rad gets infected?" Hot Shot questioned.

Rachel rubbed her brow, and began regretting not switching seats as Hot Shot went down the right tunnel. "Rad will be fine. Cooties are just…well, I don't think you'd have an equivalent. Heck, it's hard to explain in earth words."

Alexis crossed her arms, and glowered at Carlos. "But most definitely, Kelly does not have them."

"Oh look," Rachel said suddenly, "there's a light up ahead. We can get out and look around."

Carlos pumped his fist into the air. "Time to finally get in on the mini-con hunt! I've been dying to do some exploring."

"Yeah, around a shopping mall." Alexis said snidely, but one look from Rachel had her quietly apologizing.

The blonde hoped Rad was having a better time than she was. Well, at the least Grindor and Sureshock were behaving.

* * *

 _'Wow, it's pretty busy for a Saturday morning.'_ Rad thought, but wasn't quite sure 'morning' cut it with how close to noon it was now. He'd spent several minutes going back and forth with Kelly over which movie to see, and when they'd got in line she frowned as she noticed an overflowing garbage can. Rad saw it too, and he wondered if the cleaning crew hadn't yet gotten around to it.

"So, what kind of popcorn size do you want?"

"Just one?" Kelly asked quietly.

Rad blinked. "Well, yeah. If we get one large, then you'll save on money."

Kelly blushed. "Right, you just wanna share to save money." She laughed nervously. "Why else would you suggest one bag, right?"

"Are you okay? You've been getting red a lot since we've been here." Rad's expression turned to concern. "Are you scared of the dark? It can get pretty loud in a theatre too."

"Together…in the dark." Kelly mumbled, giggling as she blushed redder.

Rad just grew more concerned. "Seriously, do you need to step outside?"

"No! I'm fine, honest." Kelly assured him.

As Rad was still keeping the warning Mr. Li gave him in mind, he nodded along with Kelly, but kept one eye on her as he looked around, and behind him he could hear a couple muttering about the other overflowed trash can.

"They've been really letting this place go."

"You'd think they'd try harder for business."

"What do you expect? The only other competition is the drive-in, and that's owned by this cinema too."

Rad felt a nudge in his side, and saw Kelly jerk her head to the moving line. After the group in front of them left, they got their tickets, and he saw how the cashier was barely able to stay away. "Are you okay?"

The cashier blinked awake, and nodded tersely. "Yes, the staff has just been having a rough couple of days." She didn't elaborate, and Rad didn't ask as he and Kelly went over to the concession line.

The blond froze in line, feeling for a moment as though there was nothing more he wanted to do than just fall asleep. He could hear his name being called, and found Kelly staring at him with worry this time. "Hmm? I just spaced, sorry."

Kelly furrowed her brow. "Right, well, while you were out, I got our popcorn." She rolled her eyes in his direction, and Rad snickered. He ignored the way her face flushed red again as they walked into the theatre for the show. "Wanna sit in the back? Those are the best seats."

"Really? I thought it was the middle. Not too high, but you don't have to crane your neck to see the screen." Rad replied, but Kelly scowled at him.

"We're going to the top row." She said firmly.

Rad leaned back. She'd been so subdued during their time together that it was a bit alarming to see her more aggressive side. "Uh, sure, whatever you want."

"Funny, that's what Dad says whenever Mom wants something too." Kelly said thoughtfully.

Rad shrugged helplessly, but kept his mouth shut as they climbed the steps. When they reached the top, he was disappointed to find that the aisle seats were taken, but frowned when he saw that on _both_ ends of the aisles that the people sitting there were sound asleep. He looked further down the row, seeing that more people had taken an inexplicable cat nap. "Strange place to snooze."

"Their loss." Kelly said and nestled into a free aisle seat.

Rad knew that not everything could be a Sakura Card, and was willing to have chalked up a few people in the back row who were dozing as being tired, but almost the _entire row?_ All along the back, there were dozens of people who were napping. _'This is really weird.'_ He clutched his cell phone in his pocket. "I gotta go to the bathroom."

Kelly grimaced. "TMI, I don't wanna know about your boy germs." She huffed.

Rad rolled his eyes and hurried out of the theatre. He ducked into the bathroom and called home. He got the answering machine. "Kero, I know you're there. Now pick up the phone, I think we have a problem."

There was a click on the other end. _"What? Your date not going well?"_

"It's not a date." Rad snapped. "And no, it's not that. I think there's a Sakura Card here."

Any teasing Kero may have done was replaced with grim seriousness. _"What happened?"_

"Kelly and I got to the theatre, and almost everyone in the back row of the movie we were gonna watch was asleep. Like, really asleep. I'm surprised they didn't bring covers with them." Rad explained.

Kero made a humming sound. _"Anything else? There was no other presence?"_

"No, I think it might just be one this time, but I'll be careful." Rad said. "Now, which one does this?" he heard a crash, and the blond jumped.

 _"What was that?"_ Kero asked suddenly.

"I think something just fell." Rad whispered. He looked around the corner of the doorway out into the lobby, and his eyes widened as he found the lines of people waiting to order tickets and food had all collapsed onto the ground.

Behind the counter, he could see one of the workers had dropped a bag of popcorn kernels as they had fallen and it spilled across the floor. "Everyone in the lobby is asleep now." he recited. "Wait, I think there's something else."

Rad walked up to the shiny blue powder that sparkled on the floor. He knelt in front of it and furrowed his brow. "There's this weird stuff on the ground. It's blue, shiny and-"

 _"Don't touch it!"_ Rad jerked his hand back, having extended it to do just that.

"What is this stuff?"

 _"It's her way to make people fall asleep. That stuff gets on you, and you'll be in dreamland too."_

"Which her?"

 _"Sleep."_


	12. Chapter 11: Sleep Tight Part 2

**Chapter 11: Good Night, Sleep Tight Part 2**

* * *

Rachel was responsible for a human, but she was barely any older than Hot Shot in terms of maturity. Optimus didn't regret leaving her to watch him along with the children, but wondered if even she would grow weary and tired of his attitude. Much of the other commanders on Cybertron certainly had.

"Optimus, sir?" Red Alert ventured. The tunnel currently around them was too cramped for transformation, and so they didn't have to speak loudly with the close proximity they had.

"Yes, Red Alert?"

"I'm worried that Hot Shot's wild imagination is beginning to affect the children. He's already convinced Carlos that this 'dragon' was real and that he and Rachel were attacked by trees." Red Alert explained. "Frankly, it's starting to become troubling that he's yet to deal with his grief."

"Perhaps it's not grief, but a symptom of loneliness." Optimus said. "Hot Shot identifies with the children, because he might feel they are the only ones who understand him. He does not have anyone to confide in since the space bridge…" he trailed off.

Red Alert though understood without him needing to continue. "Perhaps it only malfunctioned. Space bridges can be unpredictable at times. You must not blame yourself sir for what happened. He jumped in at the last moment; we do not know where he could have gone. Perhaps he's still on Cybertron and waiting to come to earth so he and Hot Shot can give me a processor ache."

Optimus chuckled lightly. It wasn't something he often did anymore, but then again Red Alert wasn't just another one of his soldiers. "Thank you…Red."

The ambulance rose a bit on his wheels, as though stiffening up, but then slowly relaxed once more. "Sir…"

Whatever Red Alert was going to say, Optimus interrupted it before he could continue. "It is my hope that I will not have to force Hot Shot to confront his issues. He shows promise, but only if he can move forward."

"Hot Shot _is_ getting better," Red Alert sounded grudging to even say it, "he's just been restless."

"Yes, he has." Optimus let a sliver of amusement color his voice. "He does have a medic who cares about his well-being so much."

"With all due respect, sir, never tell Hot Shot this. He'll think he can get a free pass." Red Alert gripped. He went quiet, and Optimus saw him drive just a bit closer as his voice lowered to audio straining levels. "And with further respect, I care about everyone on this team."

Optimus noted that the ambulance had veered close enough that just a bit more, and he'd brush up against him. This was not the time though it had happened, and he made the boundary quite clear. "Red Alert, we can talk about this later. Right now we have a mini-con to retrieve."

Red Alert pulled away abruptly, his voice cracked with embarrassment. "Of course, I must have forgot myself for a moment. It won't happen again."

"On _missions."_ Optimus emphasized. Red Alert didn't reply, but then he moved back in just a little bit more.

"Understood, sir."

* * *

"Hey, where'd Hot Shot go?"

Rachel's eyes widened. She looked to the side street where Hot Shot had been parked, but noticed he was suspiciously absent. Her eyes narrowed sternly. _'He'd better not have ditched us.'_ There was always the chance he'd simply gone to do a sweep of the perimeter, but Rachel wasn't putting it past him to go stretch his wheels the moment he thought she was distracted. _'And it worked.'_

The blonde went to retrieve Alexis, who'd been leaning against Sureshock's moped form as she stared into a shop window. "Come on, we gotta find Hot Shot."

Alexis looked alarmed. "Did he leave us here? How are we supposed to get back home?"

"I see him, there he goes!" Carlos yelled. People jumped and gave him dirty looks, but Rachel ignored them as she saw that the boy was pointing to the end of the mall street where she could just make out the spoiler of a yellow car.

"After him!" Rachel exclaimed. She got on the back of Sureshock as Carlos hopped onto Grindor and the two mini-cons drove through the tiled street. People shouted after them as they zoomed through the crowds, but Rachel's eyes were only for the car which was rapidly getting away.

When they moved onto the subway tracks, they found themselves stopping at a fork in the tunnel. Rachel looked left to right, and gritted her teeth. "He's so gonna get it, bored or not." She then took a deep breath, and both kids covered their ears. "Hot Shot, you get back here right now!"

"Sorry!" Hot Shot called back, but it was hard to tell which tunnel it came from. "Can't find the mini-con just sitting around!"

Rachel rolled her eyes and pulled Laserbeak from her pocket, and let the machine bird circle around her head. "Go find him."

The bird beeped before taking the left tunnel, though before it did so the blonde let the bird sync up with her phone as a beacon to lead Hot Shot back. Rachel watched it go, sighing as she rubbed her brow and got off the moped.

"We might as well do our part too. No sense in just waiting around for them."

Alexis frowned. "Are you sure? What if they can't find us?"

"No worries, I charged my phone before I left home today." Rachel held up her cell, letting the girl see the sharp pinging pattern that Laserbeak would follow back. "We're only in trouble if it runs out of juice."

"You know, you're acting pretty chill." Carlos pointed out. "Not that I _want_ you to be angry, but what's the deal?"

"Like you said, being angry isn't going to help us." Rachel's smile thinned, and both kids felt a chill run up their spines. "Though don't think I'm not mad, just not at any of you. Keep behaving and it will stay that way."

Carlos nodded nervously, and Alexis flushed as she shyly ducked her head. Even Sureshock and Grindor avoided eye contact. Satisfied, Rachel led the children down the other tunnel. She kept one eye on the debris which began littering the way, signalling that it was one of the abandoned tunnels, and on the kids and mini-cons to make sure they were safe.

The group soon found themselves in a decaying tunnel, but it looked less like a subway than the other had. There were broken glass shards around the edges where rotted doors were and cracked stone walls indented from the walls.

"This must have been an attempt to expand the shopping center." Alexis observed. "I wonder what happened to it."

"It's not that uncommon. Sometimes there's not enough funding and city officials just cut their losses, or there wasn't much interest in completing it." Rachel said.

Alexis puffed out her cheeks. "If I were President-"

"Save the platform speech for someone who cares." Carlos said.

Alexis glared at him. "Oh, and using the city's money responsibly isn't worth anyone's time?"

"Probably no one but an accountant's." Carlos muttered.

Alexis opened her mouth, but a gasped slipped out instead of another insult. She pointed up at the ceiling, her eyes widening. "I don't believe, there it is!"

Rachel frowned, but then she saw it too. In front of one of the buildings, the ceiling had cracked away enough to reveal a green panel behind crumpling drywall. "The mini-cons so far have been active, maybe this is the reason it can't get out of storage." Her frown deepened. "Help me find something to get up there. Maybe we can find a ladder around here."

The kids and the mini-cons nodded, and the group began looking through windows and peering around dusty stores. Rachel pushed aside a wooden plank from a doorway, and blinked when she spotted a ladder lying on the floor.

She smiled slightly when she found it was in good shape. "Who wants to go on up?"

Carlos looked at the ladder skeptically as Rachel pulled it out of the store. "Are you serious? I ain't getting on that thing. It could break!"

Alexis crossed her arms, smirking. "What's the matter? I thought you liked being on an adventure? And what's more adventurous than getting on a creaky ladder?"

Carlos scowled at her. "If you're so sure, why don't _you_ go it?"

Rachel looked between them. "Believe me, if I could, I'd use it myself. I promise nothing will happen to either of you; I'll be right here holding on."

Alexis blinked, and her face reddened before she held her hand up abruptly. "I'll do it then!"

Rachel smiled gently. "That a girl." She placed the ladder against the wall, missing the way Alexis' cheeks reddened deeper. The brunette peered nervously at Rachel as she stood beside the ladder, and carefully climbed up. "Don't worry, I've got you."

Alexis stiffened, but relaxed slowly. "I know you do." She whispered and continued upwards. Rachel noticed that for Carlos' bravado, he still looked worried about Alexis' safety. Grindor patted him on the shoulder, while Sureshock kept a careful eye on Alexis as well.

Alexis put her hand on the wall to steady herself, using the other to pull and dust away from the dry wall keeping the mini-con panel encased. She let out a low grunt, her fingers grasping tightly around the panel as she tugged. "Al…most -I got it!" The panel came free, but Alexis teetered back, her foot cracking through the ladder step. " _Ahhhh!"_

Rachel jumped back, catching the girl before she could hit the ground. She held her securely and rocked her gently back and forth as Alexis' arms wrapped around Rachel's neck. "It's okay, I told you I wouldn't let anything happen, didn't I?" she questioned softly.

Alexis breathed heavily, her shoulders stiff. "That was so freaking scary." She whispered, her eyes lowering to her lap. "But you said you'd catch me, and you did."

Rachel smiled comfortingly. "I made a promise, and I try to keep my promises." She gently set Alexis back on her feet, and was pleasantly surprised when Sureshock beeped something and Alexis' expression softened.

"Yeah, I'm okay." She clutched the panel to her chest. "At least we got this little guy." She smiled, but her eyes widened in terror. "Look out!" she cried and jumped at Rachel, who had little time to process what happened when she was knocked to the ground and Alexis was lying on top of her.

Rachel grimaced, and saw Carlos looked scared. Her gaze followed his, and she felt a shiver of fear when she saw the hooked cable embedded in the ground where she'd been standing. Slowly, she followed the cable back to an orange and blue town truck, and it's headlights flashed menacingly. "Run!"

* * *

 _'Please be okay, please be okay…_ ' Rad chanted in his head. He'd hung up on Kero after getting information on Sleep, and started running back to the theatre for Kelly. He was worried about her, but seeing Mr. Li's hard face in his head spurned him to run faster. The theatre was dark when he ran in, the screen alight as the previews had already started.

Rad sprinted up the steps, but when he got to Kelly, he jerked back from touching her. Sprinkled through Kelly's hair was a shiny powder. "Oh no." he flinched when he heard giggling ringing through the room. He looked around suspiciously, but the echoing effect added to it had him looking up at the ceiling.

Through the air vent, he saw sparkles blowing into the air. They began to cover the room, and Rad's eyes widened. He sprinted down the steps, but knew he wouldn't make it to the exit in time. "Release!" he shouted and as his key turned into the sealing wand, he pulled Windy from his pocket. "Blow away this dust, Windy!" The circle appeared beneath him, and from the card a burst of wind blew out.

The gale twisted and curled, going through the entire room to sweep up the dust. Rad saw the shiny sparkles disappear from the crowd, and Windy settled all the dust at the foot of the screen before returning to him. Rad was not enthused when none of the occupants began to stir.

 _'This isn't good. How am I supposed to find Sleep if she's in the vents?'_ He took out all the cards he'd caught over just little more than a week and thought carefully about forming a plan. He doubted using Windy to douse Sleep would work, as it seemed counterintuitive for her to be affected by her own powder. He _could_ use one of the cards to draw Sleep out, but that didn't guarantee she'd go where he wanted her too.

This complex was huge, and she could just as easily give him the slip and he'd have to spend who-knew-how-long trying to find her. _'I need to lure her out, but how?_ ' Sleep had her choice of candy, and so it was doubtful she'd be fooled like Rain had been in any case.

First things first though, he needed to seal off any escape routes Sleep could take.

Rad tossed Wood into the air. "Go and seal up the vent exits, Wood!" Green wisps flooded up from the card all the way to the vent, where he could hear the branches spreading along inside of it. He felt a churning in his gut, but he knew there was at least _one_ way to get her into the open.

The blond darted out of the room, sprinting back to the lobby and looked around at the ceiling. He could still hear Wood sealing everything up, and saw leaves sticking out of the grates. "I know you can hear me!" he hollered. "I'm the one you want, isn't it? Take your best shot!"

Rad kept a close eye on his surroundings, feeling a chill run down his spine that he wasn't sure was from fear or Sleep's presence. Sparkles from above got his attention and he saw a whole shower of powder falling towards him. The blond dove for the counter, sliding under the barrister as the powder landed on the floor.

He scowled as he heard giggling, and finally got a look at the spirit. Sleep was tiny, _real_ tiny. He hadn't seen such a small being since Sweet. _'How can the smallest cause so much trouble?'_

She was a very light blue, wearing a one piece suit with a six-pointed star on her front collar, on the insoles of her pointed slippers, and on her forehead surrounded by two crescent moons. Her hair was short and wild, while one ear was feathered and oversized, matching the wings on her back. Sleep waved her wand with a crescent moon tip, and blue powder flowed from it. Rad ducked back to avoid it landing at his feet.

"You little stinker. Don't you know it's not nice to mess with people at the movies?" Rad asked.

Sleep only smirked at him. She jabbed her wand straight for him, and Rad rolled behind the counter.

"You're not getting me that easily." He hissed, but her giggle implied she was thinking the same thing as she flew back into the air and circled around his hiding spot.

He watched her soar to the hall where the theatres were, and he knew what he had to do. Rad didn't know what would happen with Wood if he used another card, so he had to make this count.

The blond followed after Sleep, keeping to the wall as he checked inside each theatre until he found her silhouette across one of the silver screens. He crept up the steps, keeping low as she stared at the movie playing, her head tilted to the side.

He opened his mouth, but even as Sleep looked at him sharply, he still pressed forward. He tossed Windy into the air as Sleep pointed her wand toward him. "Become a binding chain, Windy!" Yellow streams burst from the card, swirling around the spirit and tightened around her. Rad then pointed the wand at Sleep. "Return to your power confine, Sakura Card!"

The tiny spirit was slowly sucked into the shell card which appeared, and floated to him once the sealing was done. Rad sighed as she looked over the card, noting absently that the star on Sleep's forehead was green on her picture.

 _'I think I'm getting better.'_ He thought tentatively hopeful. Sure, Create was still a black mark against him, but he was gaining a definite track record of successful sealings.

The person in the seat he was standing next to groaned, turning in their chair as they rubbed their head. Rad knew that was his cue to leave, and ducked out of the theatre before anyone noticed him. When he got back to his own movie, Kelly was rubbing her eyes.

She blinked owlishly up at him. "What took you so long?"

Rad shrugged. "Turns out I was the one who needed some air. I miss anything good?"

Kelly furrowed her brow as she looked at the screen, her expression confused and wry. "I honestly couldn't tell you."

* * *

Red Alert could be patient, unfailingly so, but when Hot Shot skidded to a stop in front of them _without_ the children or mini-cons, Optimus did not fault him for snapping. At least this once. "How could you have left them behind? You were given orders to stay with them and you couldn't even do that!"

"Hey!" Hot Shot retorted sharply. "It's not like I just left them with the Decepticons around. They're probably back at that mall. I'm pretty sure we'd know if something was wrong."

Not a moment later, a little orange bird flew in and circled around Hot Shot before landing on Optimus' hood. The Autobot leader tried to keep his own voice steady. "You were saying?"

"Uh, they're still waiting?" Hot Shot didn't sound sure though.

"Perhaps I should have taken Rachel's suggestion and gave their suits a communicator function." Red Alert said.

"That's it! We can just call Rachel." Hot Shot bounced on his shock absorbers. "No big deal. Hey-Ray- _whoa!_ Slow down, what's wrong?"

Concerned, Optimus took charge. "Red Alert, open the line."

"Yes, sir." The ambulance replied and Optimus could hear Rachel's ragged breathing on the other line.

"Rachel, what is happening? Are the children alright?"

 _"The kids are alright-at least for now. Hot Shot though is dead when I get my hands on him!"_ Rachel snarled, her voice sputtering like she was on the move. _"He left us with a_ Decepticon. _It's chasing us and we need help!"_

"What? I-I-I didn't know!" Hot Shot protested, but Rachel cut him off severely.

 _"Just get us out of here; Laserbeak has my co-ordinates."_ Then the line cut off, and there was only static.

Optimus didn't waste time; he pre-emptively halted any more of Hot Shot's protests or Red Alert's remarks. "Mechs, you heard her. We must aid the children immediately. Laserbeak, lead the way."

The bird beeped before taking off, and Optimus hoped they wouldn't be too late.

* * *

"Do…do you think it's gone?"

Rachel peered around the door in the old subway card they had taken refuge in. She'd heard the truck drive by, and couldn't _see_ it. "I'm not sure, Carlos, but I don't hear anything." She looked back to see Carlos' scared face, and Alexis was curled over the mini-con panel, her eyes shut tightly as both Grindor and Sureshock tried to comfort them.

"This was a terrible idea." Alexis whispered. She must have been too frightened to even glare at Rachel for allowing this, or Carlos for suggesting it.

Rachel though did blame herself. She was supposed to keep them all safe, but it was feeling uncomfortably like that day in the mountains. That had ended better than she could have hoped, but would they be so lucky a second time? This Decepticon knew it wouldn't just be her down here if she tried to lead it away like she had done to the other 'Cons before. _'I can't let them get hurt-I_ won't _let them get hurt.'_

Determination rose within her, and she made herself look as strong as she wanted to feel. "Listen, we're going to be okay. We'll find the Autobots and then get the heck out of here." She put her hands on their shoulders and squeezed gently. "We need to move though, okay? Just stay with your mini-cons and don't let go."

Alexis' expression crumpled in horror. "No, you're gonna do it again!" she gripped Rachel's arm tightly. "You can't leave us-what if you don't come back?"

"If it'll keep you safe, I'd do this a million times." Rachel said firmly. She pried the mini-con panel from Alexis' fingers and replaced it with her cell. "If we run into anything, the mini-cons will take you back to the mall, and wait for the Autobots there."

"What about you?" Carlos asked.

Rachel's mouth tightened grimly. "I'll double back and meet you there too." _'Hopefully.'_ She couldn't think like that though, and after coaxing both of the kids out of the cart, she reassured them again. "Remember, don't let go."

Rachel cautiously took point, peering around corners as they made their trek back to the mall. The walls began to look familiar, but she was really starting to hate fork in the roads. Around them the tunnel shook, and when the wall burst open, Rachel only had a moment to act before the dust cleared. "Go!"

Both Grindor and Sureshock took off at mach speed, their wheels screeching against the ground as they zoomed down the left tunnel.

Rachel waved the mini-con panel when one of the 'Cons glanced at the fleeing children. "Hey! Looking for this?"

Megatron's head snapped over to her, his eyes flaring maliciously. " _Insect."_ He growled. "You're still alive-how unfortunate."

Rachel could admit that this 'Con still scared her, but she wasn't as frightened as she'd been the first or second time they'd met. Perhaps she'd grown numb to facing mortal danger, or if her protective instincts were already in high gear. "And you're still a dick, I see."

Megatron narrowed his optics. "You must know you can't possibly win."

"Who says it's about winning?" Rachel asked as she crouched slightly, her legs tensing. Like a runner, Rachel launched herself back down the tunnel, and she could hear the Decepticon leader's roar.

"Blasted ceiling!" His antlers must have gotten knocked against the top of the cavern. "Shoot her!"

"What about the mini-con panel?" Starscream questioned, only for Rachel to hear a loud smack.

"I've grown tired of your backtalk-just do it!" Megatron howled.

Rachel jumped when the first blast struck close at her heels, debris flicking against her back. She ducked to the side and avoided another shot, but the sight of a dreaded truck driving towards her made her queasy. It served to distract her though, and she screeched when a shot hit her in the back.

The panel fell from her fingers as she skidded along the ground. Her back felt sore, and she was grimly aware that had she not been wearing the mesh she'd have a hole blown through her. _'This is just great.'_ She gritted her teeth, wincing as she struggled to get up. She fell back though, biting back a scream as pain shot through her. _'I'll be lucky if it just bruises.'_ When Cyclonus walked up to scoop up the panel, she amended the statement as he pointed his wrist gun at her. _'Scratch that, lucky to live.'_

"Say goodnight, organic. It's _not_ been fun."

Rachel jerked her chin up defiantly, but before she could find out if the suit would protect her from a point blank shot, another voice cut in.

"Not so fast!"

The blonde was shocked when a familiar hook shot over her and knocked the 'copter's arm away, deflecting the shot to the wall beside him.

Cyclonus looked just as surprised, stepping back even. "A-another Autobot?"

Rachel's eyes widened. _'What?!'_ she craned her neck, and behind her was a blue and orange robot. The one who'd tried to run her and the others down was _protecting_ her now? It didn't make any sense, but right there on his chest she could see the Autobot symbol displayed.

"It doesn't matter how many Autobots Prime has," Megatron growled and he powered his cannon, "I'll blast through you all!"

"Is that so, Megatron?" A more familiar voice interjected. Rachel looked beyond the Decepticons as Megatron glared over his shoulder at the trio of Autobots who had transformed and levelled their weapons pointed at the Decepticons. "You're surrounded."

Megatron scowled, grounding his teeth before his gaze settled darkly on Rachel. _"Soon,_ insect." He hissed, his tone then turning bitter. "We have what we came for-" his mouth twisted-"retreat." He spat, his form then dissipating.

The other 'Cons all looked at each other, but followed suit.

Rachel spotted the children lagging behind the Autobots, but they backed up when they saw the orange bot. She didn't blame them, and backed up as well when he looked down at her.

"Sorry about earlier. I must not have been in my right processor." He rubbed the back of his neck, his expression startlingly sheepish. "I just kinda…freaked. It's felt like forever since I've last seen anyone-hope I didn't scare you too bad."

Rachel stared at him blankly as she processed what he was saying. The words rang in her head, but she found logic failing her. _'He calls trying to kill us 'scaring us'? Robots can get cabin fever?'_ It didn't stick though, and suspicion coursed through her. She saw Hot Shot approach, his expression so earnest and open that she felt her insides freeze when he spoke, his tone filled with a pleading kind of hope.

"Smokescreen? I thought…the accident at the space bridge…" he trailed off, tongue-tied.

The orange bot reached out and pulled Hot Shot into a friendly headlock, rubbing his knuckle over his head. "It was crazy. I go through just as the slagging bridge malfunctions. Some way to start a mission, huh? Sorry to have kept you waiting, buddy."

Hot Shot wriggled, trying to pull himself out of the new Autobot's hold. Rachel just kept staring at them, her brain still trying to comprehend this into something that made sense.

 _'He's Hot Shot's friend, he's an Autobot-damn it.'_ Rachel's logic took her a place which left a bitter taste in her mouth. They couldn't start something here, but the blonde stuck close to the children and the mini-cons, her insides churning with distrust as she kept a suspicious eye on Smokescreen.

* * *

It had not been a _bad_ day, Rad was happy to find. Aside from Sleep causing havoc at the movie theatre, and getting glared at by Mr. Li when he'd picked Kelly up and dropped her back off at her house, nothing too bad had happened.

So it was with rapt attention that Rad listened to Rachel's account of what went on. Any envy he may have felt at being left behind was squashed with the mention of rogue vehicles and megalomaniacal aliens.

"So there's a new Autobot, huh?" Rad asked once Rachel was finished.

His cousin nodded. "His name's Smokescreen." Her face went stony then. "I've already told Carlos and Alexis this, so I'll repeat it once more. Be careful around him."

Rad blinked. "I thought you said he saved you?"

"That doesn't negate what he did before that." Rachel retorted. "Look, I'm not saying he was out to get us, but there's something wrong. If he really did have cabin fever, I'm not sure I want him around any of you until he's dealt with it." Her gazed lowered. "Please don't fight me on this, a lot's happened today."

 _'A lot's happened to you in general.'_ Rad amended silently; his cousin had been almost stabbed, she'd been shot at, and then spent time being checked by Red Alert while shooting nervous glances at Smokescreen.

For Rachel's sake, Rad would abide by her rule. He hugged her, but let go when Rachel winced. She grimaced. "Sorry, but turns out that getting shot through mesh leaves a bruise," she still managed to roll her eyes in self-deprecation, "who knew?"

"So what was Red Alert's diagnosis then?"

"I take it easy, and to check with my earth doctor should things not clear up." Rachel replied. She shrugged, only wincing mildly.

Rad didn't like seeing her hurt, but couldn't deny that it was better than seeing her dead. "Well, I'm glad you're…relatively okay."

Rachel chuckled dryly. "So am I."


	13. Chapter 12: Sword Play

**Chapter 12: Sword Play**

 _(Alternative Title: Children Shouldn't Run With Knives)_

* * *

Hot Shot found an earth saying that he felt was immensely appropriate: he was on cloud nine. He had his friend back, and spent the last several days showing him around the base and goofing off like they were still on Cybertron. In fact, if Wheeljack were still around, Hot Shot would think this was a dream.

Hot Shot faltered as he explained about the ship maintenance, guilt flooding him as in his moment of weakness he found himself thinking of his subordinate. They had both been so young…he should have saved hi-

"Hot Shot? What's wrong?"

The yellow bot blinked, and he saw Smokescreen gazing at him with knitted optic ridges. Hot Shot plastered on a fake grin. "It's nothing, I'm fine."

Jolt, who'd been following at his heels, didn't look impressed despite his lack of emotion. He planted his hands on his waist and stared sternly up at Hot Shot. " _Don't lie; do I need to get Red Alert?"_

Hot Shot's optic twitched. Slagging Red Alert, corrupting his mini-con to his overly worrying ways; Red had his own mini-con, why couldn't he convert that one instead of Hot Shot's? "No, Jolt; you don't need too."

Jolt tilted his head. " _Well, you still need to see Red Alert anyway. You pulled a joint during training last night and your appointment is in ten minutes."_

Hot Shot glowered at the mini-con. "Yeah, I know when I gotta go in for my check-up; still can't believe you told him in the first place."

Smokescreen looked between them, his expression amused. "Differences in opinion?"

Hot Shot sighed heavily. "Got that right." He muttered. "Really wish the kids had been by, I'm starting to miss talking to them." He blinked and held up his servos. "Not that I'm not happy you're here, it's just that those kids really get me."

Smokescreen frowned. "I think it might be me. I know I didn't exactly make the greatest first impression on them. Got any ideas how to make it up to them?"

Hot Shot rubbed his chin. "Not really sure. I'm not good with the whole 'apologizing' thing. I can still help you though; what are friends for after all?" he asked with a cheerful smile.

Smokescreen grinned back and playfully punched Hot Shot's arm. "Got that right."

Jolt noisily vented his intakes. _"You have one second to march over to Red Alert's medbay before I drag you there myself."_

Hot Shot huffed. "Sorry Smokescreen, but Mini-Red is getting on my case." He snorted. "Figures I'd link with the mini-con that's just like Red Alert."

Smokescreen gave Hot Shot a mocking pat on the shoulder, his expression amused once again. "He'll come around to you, I'm sure."

Hot Shot wished he could roll his optics. "If Jolt does, then I'll know something's really wrong."

* * *

Rad scrutinized Rachel as the blonde made her way over to the sink. She said that the bruise had cleared up enough that it didn't hurt to move, and as he watched her the movements were smoother than they had been on Sunday and yesterday. _'I guess she must be telling the truth.'_ He was still worried about her bedraggled appearance though.

"I got homework. Think you can make your own dinner tonight?" Rachel asked.

Rad nodded rapidly. "Of course I can; I'm not a kid anymore."

The blonde smirked at him. "So says the twelve-year-old."

Rad groaned low in the back of his throat as Rachel went back to her room. He waited for the door to close before grabbing a pudding cup from the fridge and a spoon from the draw before sprinting back to his own room. A glance at the clock gave him a time frame. _'It's only four, so I can probably eat at six.'_ He handed the cup to Kero, who excitedly grabbed the spoon from him and ripped the lid open. "Have you found anything yet?"

Kero took a large scoop from the cup, gulping it down in one bite. "No. Either the cards are masking themselves better, or something's interfering."

Rad frowned as he sat down on the bed, and High Wire tilted his head in interest. "Interference? What could cause that?"

Kero was silent for a moment. "I couldn't be sure," he began slowly, "but I think there might be more magically-inclined people in this town than I thought Some are close, but there's one which is stronger though at a greater distance-can't shake how familiar it is but I can't place it." He muttered the last bit to himself worriedly.

Rad stared at him incredulously though. Was this a joke? How come he couldn't sense them? Did that only happen with the cards? "Are you serious?"

Kero nodded, his face grim. "I wasn't going to tell you this until I thought it was relevant, but your cousin has some magical capabilities too."

Rad's eyes widened, and High Wire stared at the plushy this time. "You're kidding."

"Not about something like this." Kero replied seriously. "I can pick her magic out of the interference, and yours because they're similar due to your familial connection. Has either of your parents ever exhibited some kind of power?"

Rad thought about what the guardian was saying. His mother Cindy and Rachel's mother Joy were half-sisters, so perhaps the magic had come from their grandmother? It was unlikely that they got their magic from their own fathers, not unless they were extremely lucky. "This is confusing." He muttered.

"Believe me, you have no idea how confusing families can be." Kero said.

Rad furrowed his brow, but before he could ask, he heard the phone ringing. "I'll get it!" he called and rushed to the landline. "Hello?"

 _"Rad?_ "

It was déjà vu, but with the wrong cousin. "Hey, Alexis. What'cha calling about?"

Alexis made a nervous noise over the phone. " _I was wondering; Rachel's birthday is next month, right?"_

Rad blinked. That's right, he still needed to get Rachel a gift. "It's June 2, actually. Why are you asking?"

" _I wanted you to help me find a present for Rachel. You're close to her, so I thought you'd be the person to ask."_ Alexis explained.

The blond furrowed his brow again in confusion. "Didn't you already get her a gift? It was that mood right, wasn't it?"

 _"That's not birthday worthy."_ Alexis retorted. _"So will you help me?"_

Rad sighed. It's not like he couldn't do his own shopping for Rachel's birthday. It was the right thing to do given all she's put up with-especially in regards to him. "Alright, I'll meet you at…"

 _"The Seaside Dinner. We can eat before we shop."_ Alexis replied.

"Sounds good, see you then." Rad hung up and phone and knocked on Rachel's door, peering into the room tentatively. "I'm going out to eat with Alexis; I said I'd help her with some shopping."

Rachel gazed from her books, another smirk on her lips. "Oh, another date? You're becoming a ladies man, aren't you?" she teased. "And you don't even like girls? You sure about that?"

Rad blushed. "I _don't_ like girls. I wanted to see a movie, and Alexis is my friend-she's not a girl."

Rachel tilted her head, playfulness fading into thoughtfulness. "I see." She shrugged. "Have a good time then. Just be back before it gets dark, and remember-"

"-take High Wire with me, I got it." Rad finished. He pulled out of the room, and called to High Wire, "Let's go, we gotta meet Alexis at dinner."

High Wire trailed alongside him to the front door, his eyes curved slyly. " _So what should I call this?"_

"Don't you start too." Rad muttered. "Alexis is my friend-nothing more."

High Wire 'hmm'ed. _"You're probably right. I don't think you're her type-Sureshock told me she likes 'em older."_

Rad blinked. "Alexis has a crush on someone older? Did Sureshock say who?"

High Wire stared at him. _"You can't see it? It's unbelievable how dense you are."_

The blond scowled at him. What was that supposed to mean? ' _Is it because Alexis likes someone we know? Who else does she spend her time with?'_ Try as he might, Rad was dismayed to find that he couldn't recall who else Alexis was friends with. _'Some friend I am.'_

* * *

Hot Shot grinned as Smokescreen lunged for him, sidestepping the other mech. The orange bot almost tripped as Hot Shot ducked away. "Gotta do better than that."

Smokescreen evened out his footing, and he furrowed his ridges. "What exactly did you call this game again?"

"Tag." Hot Shot said with a sly smile. "Don't tell me you're giving up."

Smokescreen huffed. "Of course not, it's just these rules are confusing."

Hot Shot frowned as he crossed his arms. "There's one rule, you gotta tag the other-"

"Like this!" The yellow mech didn't have time to evade Smokescreen as the bot jumped for him again, knocking them both to the ground. Smokescreen grinned down at Hot Shot, who scowled back at him. "I guess I'm getting the hang of this after all."

Hot Shot pouted moodily. "You cheated." He snapped petulantly.

Smokescreen laughed as he rolled to his pedes, pulling Hot Shot up with him. "You said there was only one rule. Didn't say anything else about what we could or couldn't do."

"I don't like this game anymore." Hot Shot grumbled. He winced as his servo automatically went to his side as a stinging sensation ran through him.

" _Hot Shot, what's wrong?"_ Jolt, who'd been watching their game with quiet disapproval, immediately jumped in. " _I told you not to stress yourself! And now you're joint is acting up, isn't it?"_

"It's fine, just a bit sore." Hot Shot deflected, but to his dismay Jolt was having none of it.

The salmon-colored mini-con put his servos on his hips-a pose that was rapidly becoming his default stance when dealing with Hot Shot's stubbornness. " _No more roughhousing, if you aggravate that joint it could tear and then where would you be?"_

"Got it, Sire." Hot Shot retorted mockingly. Jolt shook his head.

"What'd he say?" Smokescreen asked.

Hot Shot vented. "He's gonna rat me out if I keep playing rough with you." His expression turned apologetic. "Sorry we gotta cut this short."

Smokescreen shrugged, his posture easy-going and relaxed. "If that's how it's gotta be, then that's how it is. I don't mind playing a different game with you." He grinned again. "Though this does mean I just won our round of tag."

Hot Shot glowered at him. "This time. You're not getting the drop on me next time."

Overhead, the mini-con alarm blared, loud and piercing as always. Duty calls then. Hot Shot, Smokescreen and Jolt made their way to the command center, where Red Alert was already tracking the signal.

On the screen was a small island and emitting small green waves. A lot like the last signal actually.

Hot Shot grimaced. "Don't tell me, we gotta do actually searching again."

Red Alert's lips tightened. "For once we are in agreement." He said reluctantly. "The signal is too weak for an exact location."

Smokescreen looked between the yellow mech and the medic. "Ah, come on, a little effort never hurt anyone!"

Optimus gazed at him approvingly. "Well said, Smokescreen." He glanced at Red Alert. "Why don't we go ready the groundbridge?"

Red Alert stiffened. "Sir, you said-"

"We are not on a mission yet." Optimus said firmly. His tone lowered a bit. "And a few moments to ourselves is something to cherish."

Hot Shot blinked. For a second he could've sworn that Red Alert actually _smiled_ as he followed Optimus out of the room. _'Weird. I must have imagined it.'_ And no, the irony of admitting that wasn't lost on him. Something else though did dawn on him. "Wait, why would they _both_ need to activate the groundbridge?"

Smokescreen smirked. "They wouldn't." his smile faded when Hot Shot's confused expression didn't change. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed? I've been here for three days and even I can see it!"

Hot Shot glared at him with irritation. "See _what?_ "

Smokescreen sighed and shook his head with mock worry. "One day you'll understand what the grown-ups are saying, youngling."

Hot Shot's glare intensified. "I'm not a youngling, I haven't been for a while."

From the warp gate room, Optimus' voice called out, "Mechs, let's roll out!"

* * *

Rad was a bit confused with why by every passing minute Alexis kept getting more and more agitated. The town didn't have a mall sure, but he thought they'd found at least several shirts or school things Rachel would have liked. Alexis rejected them all, shockingly not wanting to get Rachel a gift she'd use for her education. It was hypocritical given how much grief Alexis gave Carlos to strive in school only to flip it around when it came to Rachel.

Rad knew better than to _say_ that though; Alexis was going to be a bad mood soon and he'd rather not have it directed at him. So he chose something less offensive to talk about. "You've still got a month, why are you freaking out over this?"

Alexis glared at him. Too late on the bad mood. "And how can you _not_ be freaking out? You of all people should be more worried about this. Rachel is doing everything for you! Do you have any idea what I'd give to have that kind of attention?"

Rad furrowed his brow in confusion. "Like a sister?"

Alexis froze, her face growling suspiciously red. "Something like that." She muttered. "It's just that I really…look up to her and want this to be a special thing."

"I can get that." Rad said earnestly. "Rachel means a lot to me too."

Alexis' tense posture relaxed for a moment. "Trust me, what she means to you is a lot different compared to what she means to _me."_

"How so? We both care about her." Rad didn't get why Alexis turned red again; was she getting sick? Kelly was like that too, he hoped it wasn't contagious. "Oh, you had a family dinner last night, right? What was that like?"

In the back of his mind, he could feel High Wire's interest while Sureshock remained indifferent to the conversation. Even if she was playing transportation, the orange mini-con took her job seriously.

Alexis' expression became relieved, the remaining tension draining away. "It was just like a regular family dinner, except that Auntie invited her brother and Uncle spent the whole time really tense and they kept glaring at each other." She shrugged. "Guess they don't really like one another."

"Kelly told me that too." Rad explained.

"And then Kelly started talking about you." Alexis continued, surprising Rad with that bit of information. Alexis' expression turned concerned. "Her parents got worried when she said that she just fell asleep in the theatre after someone put sleeping powder in the vents-apparently it took out almost everyone in the building."

 _'So that's what they thought it was?'_ Rad thought. "People can be so mean sometimes."

Alexis nodded absently. "They seemed surprised that Kelly said you hadn't gotten hit, and then asked my parents for Rachel's number in case they wanted her to watch Kelly." She smiled slyly. "Kelly of course said she was too old for a babysitter."

"I think Rachel's getting too old _to_ babysit." Rad said teasingly.

Alexis sniffed. "She'll never be too old-plus she was a great sitter."

"As long as you behaved." Rad muttered.

The brunet puffed up proudly. "I never had a problem with her."

Rad rolled his eyes. He blinked when he felt a strange presence around him, and winced when he felt a cutting pain on his arm. High Wire stopped, concern flowing out through him as Rad pulled his sleeve up. The skin was clean, no signs of a scrape or cut in sight. "I'm okay."

 _"Are you sure?"_ High Wire pressed, but Rad nodded.

"Oh, I just thought a bee stung me." The blond said when he saw Alexis' staring at him curiously. His eyes wandered beyond her to the convenient store. "Why don't we stop there? I could sure go for some gum. And a candy bar."

Alexis shook her head, but didn't say anything as Sureshock and High Wire drove over to the building at the curb of the street. There was a newspaper stand by the door, and by the cash register was a rack of charms. Alexis' eyes were drawn to the charms instantly. "Oh, these are cute. Are they new?"

The cashier beamed. "Yup; just got an order in yesterday. See anything you like?"

Alexis scrutinized the rows critically, and Rad looked them over as well. They were all in different colors, pinks, blues, purples and whites. Each was set in a different shape, some were even in the form of animals or objects.

"This one." Alexis said abruptly. She pulled a charm off the rack, and Rad peered over her shoulder at it. It was in the shape of a sword. It had a long blade with a tapered edge going wider at the tip, wing cut-outs on blade hilt, and a curled wing for a handle while an orange gem resided in the center point of the handle.

"You think Rachel will like it?" Rad asked. He jerked back when Alexis shot him a nasty glare, a deep maliciousness her in gaze. The blond held up his hands in placation. "Sorry, didn't mean to offend you or anything."

Alexis furrowed her brow, the anger fading away. She scrunched her nose, her eyes closing tightly for a moment. "I'll take it." She let the cashier ring up the order, and was practically bouncing as they made their way out.

"I guess you don't need me anymore-"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Alexis snapped. "Of course I still need you. You have to help me decide which wrapping paper Rachel will like best."

Rad frowned. "Okay, a gift I get worrying about, but why does the paper you tear up matter?" he froze when Alexis glared at him, but was relieved by the fact it wasn't as hateful as her earlier one. Still didn't make him feel any less assured though.

" _Play dead."_ Sureshock piped in.

Sound advice if he ever heard it. Rad shrank into himself. "I mean, of course it's important. This is Rachel we're talking about."

Alexis' eye twitched at her name, fury briefly flickering through her gaze before it slid easily into adoration. "Yes, she's worth it." She said dreamily. "My home's not too far away. We should be able to make it there before my parents get done work."

"Overprotective?"

Alexis grimaced. "No, they'll tease us."

Ah, that. Rad was glad then at least this wasn't just a problem _he_ was dealing with.

* * *

The first Hot Shot noticed was the smoke rising out of the volcano. "Well, that can't be good." He said as the others gazed up at the mountain.

"It would appear that is why this island has been evacuated." Optimus said heavily. "The sooner we find the mini-con, the quicker we can leave before the volcano erupts. Mechs, split up."

"Hot Shot, ya with me?" Smokescreen asked.

Hot Shot grinned. "You even need to ask?" he heard Jolt grumbling as they sprinted away from the group, but realized that this wouldn't help unless they knew _where_ they should search. "So, got any ideas about where to start first?"

"Well, the mini-cons have been here for thousands of years, right? Maybe we should start with the base of the mountain." Smokescreen suggested.

Hot Shot gave him an incredulous stare. "Are you serious? You want to go _towards_ the smoking crater that's going to explode any minute?" Smokescreen shrugged. The yellow mech shook his head, smiling fondly. "Glad to see you still haven't changed. Let's get going then."

 _"This is a bad idea."_ Jolt said grumpily as trailed after them.

Hot Shot snorted. "Then you should have stayed with your new buddy Red Alert."

Jolt groaned, his version a high and long beep. " _For the last time, being concerned with your health is normal. You are far by the most accident prone partner I've ever had."_

That threw Hot Shot for a loop. He hesitated a moment before they kept following after Smokescreen towards the top of the volcano. Turns out the mini-con hadn't been at the base and the orange mech wanted to try higher. _'How could I forget that Jolt used to have another partner? Little guy doesn't seem all that old.'_ Then again, he wasn't very old anyway. "What was your other partner like?"

Jolt sighed. _"Now's not the time, let's just find my brethren and we can leave this place without you getting hurt."_

"Hey! I found it!" Smokescreen called from at the volcano edge. It had Hot Shot's tank churning as he realized what this meant.

"I like dangerous things, but I ain't jumping into a volcano." He said as he got closer. When at the edge as well, he peered into the lava through the smoke. And there it was-floating along the surface was the mini-con panel. "So how do we get it out?"

"I could try my hook, but I don't think I'd be able to reach that far down." Smokescreen said. "Well, not unless I leaned in and you kept a strong grip on me."

Hot Shot took in the size difference between them. "Yeah-no. That won't work either. I'd probably drop you. The mini-con looks find but I'm not eager to find out how durable _you_ are."

Smokescreen grinned as he nudged Hot Shot on the shoulder. "Underneath everything, you're just a big softie aren't you?"

Hot Shot flushed as he clenched his fists, expression turning indignant. "I am not! You're my friend, and I have no interest in trying to be civil towards Red Alert."

Smokescreen snorted. "Thanks for letting me know how you really feel about me, pal."

Hot Shot grimaced at how his own words sounded. "It's not that I'm using you, I just don't want to be alone again."

The orange mech's irreverent expression became a lot more serious. "You're not alone, even when I wasn't here you weren't." he reached out and gave Hot Shot a one-armed hug around the shoulders. "Don't start thinking like that, okay? Optimus, the kids, Jolt, even Red-they care about ya."

Hot Shot blinked. "When did you get so thoughtful?"

Smokescreen looked at the ground. "Let's just say I know what real loneliness is."

 _'That's right, how could I have forgotten that too?'_ Hot Shot returned the hug. "Then it's a good thing we're not-lonely together." His optics flickered to the mini-con, his lips twisting into a grimace as he commed Optimus. "We found the panel, but it's in the volcano. Course of action, sir?"

"You can _die!"_

Hot Shot jerked back, his optics widening as he a flash of purple coming for them. He grabbed Jolt and tackled Smokescreen out of the way. Not a moment sooner and they would have been strafed by dozens of laser shots where they'd stood. "Scrap." He spoke into his comm unit urgently. "Optimus, the Decepticons have decided to make a not-so-welcoming arrival."

 _"Take cover, and only engage if you have a clear shot."_ Optimus replied sternly.

Hot Shot was about to retort, but Jolt cut him off. " _Starscream's circling back! We have to get out of here!"_

The yellow mech was loathed to leave, but if Starscream brought out his mini-con's power, he was not looking forward to ending up back in the medbay-or worse. "I think I saw a rock face we can hide behind on our way up."

Behind him, an ominous rumbling rang out. Hot Shot winced as Smokescreen gazed back at the volcano. "That's not a good sign." Jolt would have jumped had he not been in Hot Shot's grasp as lava jumped up from the mouth of the volcano.

"Let's go!" Hot Shot pulled Smokescreen with him as lava began rolling out through the side, arching its way down the hill. "We have to get out of here soon," he yelled into the comm, "the eruption is happening _now_!"

* * *

For how long Rad had known Alexis, he couldn't recall ever being at her house. He thought coming here would reveal something he didn't know about his friend, but the experience was a bit underwhelming. Perhaps it was because he expected the place to be filled with kitten and puppy posters, or plushies of some variant.

It was normal; the kitchen had a dining table and the walls were painfully bare. The living room had two couches, a coffee table, and a television.

"Somehow I was expecting…more."

Alexis snorted. "Oh, there is more. It's just all in the garage. Mom and Dad haven't gotten the time to put it all back."

"I don't want to overstep my boundaries or anything," Rad rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "but why do your parents do this? I get that Mr. Li can be scary, but he's your uncle, isn't he?"

"He is." Alexis replied. "Mom just thinks it's better _he_ think she's gotten over her phase." Her eyes narrowed. "Didn't I already explain this to you?"

Rad scratched his cheek bashfully. "Probably."

Alexis shook her head and pointed at the couch. "Wait there, I'll be right back."

Rad sat down on the couch and fiddled with the key around his neck. With a quiet moment to spare, Rad thought he should have gotten a bigger card case to cart the Sakura Cards around in. They must be getting tired of being carried in his pocket-it was cramped and getting to be a tighter squeeze. He glanced up as Alexis came back, and in one hand was the charm while in the other was two rolls of wrapping paper-one shiny and silver, the other sparkled with a vibrant pattern of lines.

"So, which do you think she'd like?" Alexis held the two rolls out to him.

Rad looked them over, his brow furrowed. Both were a bit too sparkly for his taste-or was he being biased given how much trouble _sparkles_ of all things were causing him?-but he knew Rachel liked being neat. "The silver one."

Alexis nodded and Rad nudged her. She gave him an annoyed glare. "Yes?"

"You wouldn't want to give Rachel a gift she'd look bad with, would you?" he teased. "Why don't you try it on and see how it is?"

Alexis' eyes widened. "You can't be serious." Her glare intensified. "There's no way I'd do that to Rachel."

"It's not like you're leaving the price tag on it." Rad retorted.

Alexis lifted the charm up to eye-level, her gaze hard as she stared at it. Slowly, her expression relaxed. "Excuse me then." She mumbled and walked out of the room.

Rad gazed around the living room again, but was surprised when not a minute later Alexis came back into the room. The sword pin glinted as it hung on Alexis' heart. "It looks nice." He said. The smile tugging at his lips pulled into a frown as Alexis didn't reply, her head was down and hair fell in her face. "Hey, don't tell me you're upset just to _wear_ it?"

Alexis didn't reply. She only lifted her hand above her head, and a flash of silver had Rad moving just as the tip of a sword dug into the spot he'd been sitting.

"Alexis-what the heck's wrong with you!" Rad demanded, only to falter when he got a look at the blade. It was the charm, but the trinket was gone. He remembered the sharp feeling in front of the convenient store, and he felt so very foolish. "Sakura Card." He whispered.

The brunet lifted her head, and Rad froze at the hatred in her eyes. They were searing and filled with scorn. It was disturbing because otherwise there wasn't a shred of emotion on her face.

She raised the blade again. "Release!" Rad blocked the strike with his wand, and rolled out of the way, breaking the clash and ducked as the sword smashed through a vase on the fireplace.

"I don't think you're parents are gonna like that." Rad muttered, but Alexis gave no sign she heard him. "Snap out of it! I don't want to hurt you."

Alexis didn't resist as the blade thrust at him, and Rad ducked out of the way. He was under no impression that this wouldn't hurt him, but how could it have gotten to control Alexis? _'Kero's got some explaining to do.'_ He thought, rolling once more as the sword cut into the floor. _'A lot of explaining.'_

"You can't let the card control you." Rad tried to reason. "You're stronger than it! Think about Rachel!" Alexis froze, and Rad continued quickly. "Yeah, what about her? You care about her, don't you?"

Rad expected Alexis to fight off the sword, but instead what happened made his insides turn to ice. Alexis' shoulders shook, and a scowl crossed her lips that matched the hatred in her gaze. With a renewed vigor, Alexis struck at him.

When he dodged that time, the sword cut clean through one of the chairs at the dining table.

Rad didn't have time to stare as he ran for the screen door in the kitchen. ' _Okay, so mentioning Rachel's a bad idea. Got it.'_

* * *

"I hate this; we're stuck between lava and the Decepticons." Hot Shot grumbled as he ducked down, laser fire sparking against the cliff face he and Smokescreen had taken refuge behind. Jolt had already linked up with him, but Hot Shot couldn't get a clean shot at Starscream and Cyclonus.

"Come on out, Autobots. This will only hurt a lot! Ah-hahaha!" Cyclonus cackled.

Hot Shot scowled as he took a pot shot at the 'copter, who only swerved out of the way. "Wish that bucket of bolts would hold still so I could blast him right in the tailpipe."

"Believe me; I'd love nothing more than to shut that fragging motherboard up too." Smokescreen growled. Like Hot Shot, the orange mech was not fond of having to play things safe.

"Quit cowering like weaklings and face your demise with dignity!" Starscream called.

Hot Shot snorted. As if he'd give the seeker any satisfaction from this. It was just talk-he'd use that mini-con at the first sign he and Smokescreen might be getting an advantage. Which was unlikely and Hot Shot hated it. Jolt's power-up was useless unless he got a clear shot.

"This lava isn't making it easy to come up with a plan." He gripped. His optics widened as in the lava flow the mini-con panel began surf along the top. If one of the 'Cons looked, they would no doubt try and grab it. "It's coming, I'll fire and you hook the mini-con the first chance you get."

"Got it." Smokescreen said, his optics locking onto the slowly approaching mini-con.

Hot Shot took pot shots at the flyers, designed to distract rather than harm-at least for now. He couldn't get a solid shot, so he'd do what Red Alert said he did best-annoy the frag out of bots. "Now who's running?"

"Rotten Autobot!" Cyclonus snarled as he had to cut off his own shooting to avoid being hit by a wild shot.

"What's the matter- forget what fighting an actual mech is like?" Hot Shot retorted.

"Big words, given this is a not a _true_ battle." Starscream said heatedly.

"Like you're one to talk you flying afterburner!" Hot Shot snapped.

"Almost…I got it!" Smokescreen abrupt declaration unfortunately caught the Decepticons' attention too.

"I don't think so!" Cyclonus fired, knocking the panel out of the cable's grasp as he snatched it out of the air.

"You're not getting that panel!" Hot Shot took aim, and for once got in a solid strike.

The laser blasted Cyclonus in the side, leaving the 'copter wobbling as his grip slackened. Smokescreen swung his hook once more, the crook closing around the panel as he quickly tugged into his grasp.

"That's it, I'm so out of here. No mini-con's worth getting scraped over!" Without another word, Cyclonus teleported out.

"Slag it!" Starscream snarled. Had he been in bi-pedal mode, there was a good chance he'd be scowling. "Sir, Cyclonus has left, and the Autobots have the mini-con- _what?_ " his tone took on an incredulous tone, but even that didn't distract him from dodging another of Hot Shot's blasts. _"Yes, sir_ , I understand." He gritted out, and just as abruptly, he teleported out as well.

 _"Hot Shot, Smokescreen,"_ Optimus' voice carried over the comms, " _the Decepticons have retreated. I suggest we take our leave before we find out how much heat we can actually stand."_

Hot Shot looked warily at the lava that was rapidly spreading out towards them. _'For once that's a retreat I can get behind.'_

* * *

Much as Rad hated to admit it, all he knew for certain was that Alexis valued Rachel's opinion greatly. It confused him as to why, as even as much as he loved his cousin, he didn't _idealize_ her. He saw her at her worst after all.

Though right now Alexis-or the sword-seemed to have completely flipped at the mention of her. And he didn't want to hurt Alexis even if she _was_ trying to kill him. _'It's the sword, not her. Why didn't Kero say anything? Was it because I didn't ask? He should have told me this!_

Rad's tirade against plushies was cut short as he threw himself to the ground, a glint of silver sweeping over him as a blade cut down a tree. _'Okay, I need to get that card away from her. Time to stop messing around. I don't want to hurt her, but I can't keep dodging.'_

No matter how lucky he'd been, it would just take _one_ solid strike and he'd be-well, it wouldn't be good.

Rad reluctantly pulled out one of the cards he had on hand. "Bubbles, distract her!" The card glowed as he pointed his wand at it, and from the shell pink bubbles poured out.

Not-Alexis scowled even deeper as she swatted at the bubbles sticking to her skin. Her eyes glared more menacing than Rad thought possible given her already foul attitude, but he'd be wrong. Not-Alexis hissed, slashing at the bubbles before charging at Rad.

The blond winced as he rolled out of the way, a deep gorge slashed into the ground where he'd been. "Come on, what'd I'd ever do you?" All he got was a glare for his troubles, and Rad pulled out another card. "Figures." He muttered and tossed Sleep into the air. "Let's give her a cat nap, Sleep!"

The tiny figure sprung forth from the card, and she deftly avoided the blade which slashed at her. Sleep bopped Not-Alexis on the head, a smug look on her face as powder washed over the girl. Rad watched relieved as Not-Alexis' eyes drooped shut, her form wobbling.

Rad pointed his wand at the sword. "Return to your-" he let out a startled scream as abruptly Sleep was smacked out of the air by the blunt side of the blade. Sleep grimaced as she retreated to her card form, and Rad pocketed her as Not-Alexis incredulously kept moving. _'She's freaking asleep! Just how strong is this card's hold?'_

The blond didn't want to hurt his friend, but it was quite obvious that this card was definitely trying to kill him. _'It's going to sheesh-kabob me if I don't do anything though.'_ He argued with himself. If he hadn't teased Alexis until she gave in, then this wouldn't have- _'No, she was already acting weird. The card had her back in the store; it would have gotten its way.'_

It wasn't much of a reassurance, but it was enough to keep the guilt at bay.

"Please," Rad needed to try at least one more time. He didn't want to end up hurting Alexis, "just calm down. I don't know why you're angry, but lashing out isn't going to help."

The card disagreed apparently, as Rad was forced to dodge another arching slash.

 _'I have to break the connection. At least that way it will be easier to capture.'_ Rad would have discarded Sweet out of hand, but no card was useless, and Sweet had proven herself before. "Sweet!" he called forth the spirit, who looked confused as to why he hadn't given an order. "I have a plan," he whispered, "but I can't let the card know beforehand." Sweet nodded seriously. "On my mark, turn the tree behind me to caramel."

Sweet nodded and slipped away as Rad was forced to block another strike. Even asleep, Not-Alexis looked super mad. Rad grunted as he felt the blade pressing in closer-what if the wand broke? He didn't even want to think about it.

Rad pulled back, and the sword came thrusting forward. "Now!" he dropped to the ground, hearing the _thunk_ of the sword going into the candy tree. Not-Alexis scowled and tried to pull the sword back, but frowned as the sword refused to budge.

He didn't want it to realize it could still cut through, so Rad thwacked the wand down on Not-Alexis' hand. It didn't get knocked loose, but Not-Alexis winced and the grip slackened enough for Rad to pry her fingers from it.

Alexis collapsed in Rad's arms, and he gently set her on the ground. At least she seemed okay, but Rad would have to wait until she woke up to be sure.

A creaking caught his attention, and Rad was incredulous as he saw the sword moving by itself. It wriggled continually as it tried to pull out. "Unbelievable." Rad said to himself. His eyes widened as the sword began to pull itself out. "Oh no you don't!"

Rad tossed Windy into the air. "Become a binding chain, Windy!" he yelled. As Windy came out of the card, the tree turned back to wood and the sword violently cut it apart. Wood chips went everywhere, and Rad pulled Alexis out of range.

When he looked up, he felt a chill run down his spine. The blade of the sword had been stopped inches from cutting into him. He saw the wind streams straining to hold the sword in place and Rad didn't waste any more time. He pointed at the sword as the golden circle appeared beneath him. "Return to your power confine, Sakura Card!"

The sword thrashed, its form dissolving as it was sucked into its shell card. A bit more hesitantly, Rad held the card as though it would explode. On the face, it was the same sword, but wrapped in chains. Underneath that, the name was- ' _The Sword-figures.'_ Rad heard Alexis groan, and quickly pocketed the cards.

Alexis slowly blinked, her brow furrowed as she looked around in confusion. "What am I doing out here? I thought we were inside?"

"We were." Rad agreed. "It's just, well," he rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "I opened the screen door, but a bird flew in! We chased it around, though…eheheh, there's kind of a mess."

Alexis shot up, her eyes snapping open. "What?! My parents are going to be so mad!"

"Chill, Alexis." Rad said soothingly. "We can clean up….although I hope you have an extra chair lying around."

The brunet frowned. "Don't tell me one of broke a chair."

"Alright, then I won't."

Alexis put her hands on her face. She sighed heavily and when she pulled her hands away, her face was all business. "Then let's get working. I won't have my parents coming home to a ruined house."

"Just the living room. Thankfully it didn't go beyond that." Rad assured her.

Alexis nodded, but paused. "You still didn't tell me how I got out here, or where my present is."

Rad thought fast. "You tripped and hit your head. And unfortunately the bird took off with your charm. But don't worry," he quickly said when Alexis' face fell, "now you can get Rachel an even _better_ present. Maybe you could make her something? She always valued hard work."

Alexis flushed. "Really?" she whispered. A new fire burned in her eyes. "Then there's no time to waste!" she sprinted back towards the house.

Rad smiled at his friend's enthusiasm, and hoped that there wouldn't be any ill effects. _'Really gotta ask Kero why he didn't say anything.'_

* * *

"Why...why isn't the mini-con waking up?" Hot Shot questioned. They'd all tried to activate it, but no one had been able to get the panel to glow.

Red Alert frowned as he examined it more closely. "I'll run a few tests; it could be a myriad of things. The mini-con had been grounded for thousands of years, it-"

"Yeah, yeah, I don't need to hear another lecture." Hot Shot said flippantly. "I got more training drills to do."

Red Alert's optic band burned brighter. "Don't forget you have another appointment. Longarm said you pulled a joint."

"How-?" Hot Shot glared suspiciously down at Jolt, who was pointedly avoiding his gaze.

Optimus vented. "Mechs, settle down." He said wearily. "The point is, active or not, we have retrieved the mini-con and kept it out of Decepticon servos. Well done. You're all dismissed for the evening."

Hot Shot grinned. "Alright!" he grabbed a hold of Smokescreen and pulled the mech along with him. "Come on, I got some more games we can try out!"

* * *

Rad collapsed onto his bed, glaring weakly at the clock which mockingly blinked _6:50_ back at him. He then turned his gaze to Kero, while ignoring how High Wire was nervously fidgeting in the background. "You didn't tell me the cards could possess people."

Kero froze, his eyes widening. He shrank down into his drawer, peering nervously over the ledge. "Should I ask which one?"

"Sword." Rad grounded out.

Kero's nervous air only grew. "I see. It _may_ have slipped my mind. Being a guardian is time-consuming, and it's not like you asked in the first place!" his tone rapidly turned defensive.

Rad didn't roll his eyes. This wasn't the time for that. "It possessed my friend, something I would have liked to avoid but I didn't know." He got up on his elbows, staring hard at the plushy. "Alexis could have killed me, or she could have hurt herself. Next time you remember something important, mention it, okay?"

Kero avoided his gaze. "Sure." He said quietly. It was a contrast to his usual boisterousness. "You must be exhausted, why don't you go eat something? Magic can take a lot out of you when used too much."

Rad frowned. He _did_ feel sluggish, but he'd thought it was the result of doing all that work at Alexis'. "Yeah, maybe you're right." He found High Wire still fidgeting, and patted the bed beside him. "Sit down, I'm not mad."

 _"You should be-I failed you!"_ High Wire said. He clutched his head horrified. _"I was in the garage with Sureshock, we were right there. We could have helped you! How can I keep you safe when I can't even know what I'm keeping you safe_ from! _That charm was the card, what else could I overlook."_

"High Wire, you're doing the best you can." Rad sighed as the mini-con didn't come any closer. He took the initiative to walk over to High Wire and wrap his arms around him. The mini-con stiffened, but didn't shake him off. "I don't expect you to protect me from everything. It's not fair to put so much pressure on you." He explained earnestly. "It's great you care about making Rachel happy-so do I, but even she wouldn't want you to beat yourself up over every little thing."

" _What if the next card is something I can't help with you either?"_ High Wire's voice sounded so small, and his emotions were full of sadness and fear.

Rad couldn't deny being scared too. The thought of Sword having come so close…but the thought of it being High Wire impaled on the blade was just as terrifying. "I don't know, but I never know what card's coming. The point to remember is that we can't let fear or disappointment control us. I'm scared to death of upsetting Rachel so much she sends me away, but I know that I can't tell her the truth yet, or that not doing anything will do more damage."

 _"I…I'm scared of disappointing Rachel._ " High Wire admitted. _"She put so much faith in me, believed that I was just as capable of protecting you as any Autobot. I…I like being seen as a real transformer."_

Rad's eyes widened, but he only tightened his grip. "You're real to me, you'll always be real. Even when I thought you were nothing but a dream I couldn't shake the feeling."

Slowly, High Wire's arms wrapped around him in return. _"Then I guess we both have things to work on, don't we?"_

Rad smiled at the tentatively humorous tone, and he nodded. "That's right."

Watching them, Kero knew he had chosen well.


	14. Chapter 13: Dash Away Part 1

**Chapter 13: Dash Away Part 1**

 _(Alternative Title: The Ice Finally Breaks)_

* * *

"Wow, thanks dad." Carlo said awed as he examined the shiny new cell phone his father had just handed him. The older man waited until they were done breakfast to spring the surprise gift.

"Well, it _was_ going to be your birthday present, but with how things are your mom and I felt it was better to be safe than sorry." His father explained as he ruffled Carlos' hair.

The boy grinned even as he batted the hand away. "So does this mean you're both not mad that I blew my allowance helping Alexis buy a moped after all?"

As a cover story for Sureshock, as she couldn't be simply passed off as a replacement that had been 'won' like Carlos claimed Grindor was; Alexis spun a lie that Rad and Carlos had pitched in to help Alexis 'buy' Sureshock.

His father sighed. "We were never _mad_ that you did it, just that we wish you'd come to us instead. We'd have helped you, you know." He smiled a bit sadly. "I guess you're just getting to that age where kids decide they want to be more independent, huh?"

Carlos rubbed his neck nervously. "Don't worry, dad; next time, I'll totally come to you with a big decision."

His father shook his head with a soft smile. "Better get going, don't wanna be late for school."

Carlos huffed as he put his plate and utensils in the sink, the soft sound of the radio playing in the background. His mother's radio segment wouldn't start for another fifteen minutes, but trying to tell his dad he wanted to listen to his mom's program hadn't worked even the first time he'd tried it.

"Later." He called back as he pulled Grindor with him out the door and put his new cell phone into his backpack. "Sorry about you doing nothing all day, buddy. Must be pretty boring to just sit around all the time."

 _"It's okay; it never hurts to get some extra recharge."_ Grindor replied sagely.

Carlos cracked another grin as they made their way down the sidewalk. "Crank up the speed, bud! I can barely feel the wind in my hair." He laughed.

Grindor chuckled softly. _"If you insist."_

Carlos whooped as they sped up, but over the sound of his laughter, he heard a high-pitched keening that had him furrowing his brow. "Wait; hold up, I thought I heard something."

Grindor slowed to a halt. _"I believe you're right, I heard it too."_

Carlos shushed him as they walked over to the wooded area across the street; Grindor's wheels not making a sound. The boy stepped off the skateboard as he crept onto the grass and looked around. He heard the sound of a _clunk_ and another keen was followed by harsh laughter.

"Look at the thing, Sid! It's so pathetic!"

Carlos' eyes widened. He recognized the voice as Seth's, a kid who hung out with Sid. He knew that they bullied and harassed other kids in the school, but were they actually hurting some poor animal? He debated with himself about getting involved, though when he heard a pained yip sound out, he made his decision. "Stay here, buddy, I don't want you getting hurt." He whispered before marching further into the woods.

He found the two bullies after passing one of the trees, where Seth was cheering Sid on as he shot rocks at a downed animal with his slingshot. It looked alike a small fox with the strangest blue fur Carlos had ever seen, and it's ears were long like a rabbit's while it's tail wasn't bushy but long and slender. On its forehead there was a dark patch that was covered with gravel while rocks lay at its head. One of its legs was bent at an angle and it let out additional plaintive keen when Sid picked up another rock from the pouch at his belt.

"Come on, Sid, I think it's almost dead!" Seth goaded.

Carlos squared his shoulders as he clenched his fists. "Hey!" his shout startled Sid enough that his shot went wide and hit the bark of a tree instead of the fox. "What'd that fox ever do to you?"

Sid glared at him. "Look at it; it's some kind of freak of nature!"

"That's right." Seth nodded firmly.

Carlos couldn't believe what he was hearing. "That's no reason to just start shooting rocks at it!" As he had the bullies' attention on him, the little fox limped into the brush, its form disappearing into a shrub. Unfortunately, Carlos realized _he had their attention._

Sid narrowed his eyes. "Then I'll just start shooting them at you since you want to be so nosy!" he reached into his pouch and Carlos took the time to run.

Carlos winced as a rock nicked him on the shoulder and he jumped onto Grindor once he was clear of the woods. "Go, go, go!" he chanted and the mini-con wasted no time in hastily getting them out of dodge.

The pre-teen looked back and saw both Sid and Seth had just cleared the woods as well. "We'll get you, you can count on it!"

Carlos nervously turned his attention back to the street; he _really_ wasn't looking forward to finding out how true that was gonna be.

* * *

Hot Shot couldn't believe this; he'd been left behind! His lips pursed as he narrowed his optics at the warp gate's locational co-ordinates. It was one thing for him to receive a late notice, but he couldn't see it taken any other way than being ditched when he found that Red Alert, Smokescreen and Optimus had both left. He glanced down at Jolt, who peered back up at him. "Can you believe this?"

Jolt nodded solemnly. _"I can, Red Alert would not want you to aggravate your injuries."_

Hot Shot huffed as he crossed his arms indignantly. "I'm all healed up though, even the pulled joint is better! Red Alert's just being petty now." he grumbled. He'd been so wrapped up in trying to find out more about what might have happened that day by the lake he must have been oblivious to the alarm. _'No wonder they left me behind. Step it up, Hot Shot-you can't get distracted like that anymore.'_

It wasn't a total waste though. His gloom was replaced with a rising excitement as he glanced down at the datapad he'd copied his research onto. Now that there was an explanation he could give, they'd _finally_ have to believe him.

Hot Shot looked up when the warp gate lit, and his missing teammates appeared back in the base. He took in whether they had any injuries before puffing himself up. "It's so nice to be called in, only to find out that you were already gone."

Red Alert let out a scoff. "The mini-con couldn't wait, and I didn't clear you for duty yet."

Hot Shot scowled at him. "Then why bother calling me at all?"

"I didn't." Red Alert retorted tersely, and the yellow mech flinched. "Smokescreen convinced Optimus that you should be on stand-by in case you were needed."

Hot Shot glanced at the orange mech, who shrugged. The yellow bot sighed in frustration. "It would have been nice if you'd convinced him to let me come along in the first place."

"Sorry, Hot Shot, couldn't make him budge on that." Smokescreen replied.

Optimus knelt down to set a small yellow mini-con on the floor. "Hot Shot, Jolt, this is Sparkplug. He was my old partner back on Cybertron. Luckily I managed to reach him when Megatron showed up."

"See, sir, I could have been back-up, or helped you find the mini-con faster." Hot Shot pleaded. "Just something other than being forced to sit around and wait again!"

Optimus didn't reply right away as Sparkplug looked up at him. "Jolt will show you around, won't you, Jolt?" The little 'copter mini-con nodded and they both made their way out of the room, making beepy conversation with each other. Only then did the Prime address Hot Shot. "Very well. You can accompany us on our next mission."

"Optimus-" Red Alert started, but the red and blue mech cut him off.

"While I always appreciated how seriously you took your duties...Hot Shot is correct. We can't afford to leave out any resource we have." Optimus explained. "We were lucky this time that one of Decepticons was asleep at the wheel and caught the signal too late, but that may not be the case next time. The lull in the Decepticons will not last, and we must be ready for it-all of us."

Red Alert looked about to protest, but instead looked away tensely. "Of course, Optimus." He sent Hot Shot a sharp glare. "You though will report to the medical bay so I check your injuries. Knowing you I will need to take stock of which wounds are likely to re-open."

Hot Shot scowled at him again. "That's not fair! It's not like I jump into danger on purpose."

"Just like it's not your fault when you run your mouth off." Red Alert shot back.

Hot Shot started forward, but Optimus blocked his way. The yellow bot recoiled, his expression contrite. "I know, no more in-fighting." He grumbled and in the heat of the moment couldn't believe he'd almost forgotten about the datapad.

"While you were gone though, I did some research on what I could have seen that day," Hot Shot glared at Red Alert, daring him to say anything, but the medic only gave him a skeptical stare, "and yes, I did research." He shook his helm. "Anyway, I found this website on mythical creatures." he said and pulled up the hand drawn image of a shadowy tailed creature with glowing purple eyes. "This might be that dragon I saw, or at least a form it took."

Red Alert vented deeply. "I can't believe you're so obsessed with this." He muttered.

Hot Shot bristled, but knew it wasn't Red Alert he had to convince. "Optimus sir, just listen to this!" he held the page up to his own optics and read a passage he'd highlighted. "' _The Wisp. It is an ancient creature, believed to have come to Earth on a falling star...'"_ he trailed off and gave the other Autobots a meaningful stare. They couldn't have missed how their own arrival might be taken a similar way.

"It could have been a space bridge opening or a spaceship coming into orbit." Red Alert reluctantly agreed. It looked like it physically hurt to admit that. "It doesn't explain though how no one else could see it."

"I'm getting there!" Hot Shot huffed and turned back to the datapad. _"'The Wisp enjoys teasing or tricking other beings when bored. She makes it a way of life to prevent going mad from the boredom in an endless life. Often times unexplained incidents, or spotting unbelievable creatures were simply the Wisp.'"  
_  
"She?" Smokescreen asked.

Optimus shushed him, and seemed to take it in thoughtfully. "Go on, Hot Shot."

 _"'The Wisp is capable of taking on any form she desires and has the ability to transform others into different forms as well, while in the blink of an eye she can change them back. She possesses telekinetic powers and can turn invisible at will.'"_ Hot Shot lowered the datapad with an excited look on his faceplate. " _That's_ where that card came from, Optimus! This... _Wisp!_ She must've changed this card..." he slipped the pink card from his shoulder compartment and held it up to the others, though Smokescreen took more interest as he hadn't seen it yet, "into a dragon, and made it so no one else could see it. And _then_ changed it back!"

Silence reigned for a moment, and Red Alert shook his helm. " _That's_ your big explanation? You really expect us to believe that a made up creature is the cause for-" he cut himself off when Optimus put a servo on his shoulder. He looked up at the red and blue mech with a dimmed optic band. "Sir?"

Optimus was silent as he gazed at Hot Shot, his yellow optics impassive as he appeared to be contemplating his words. "Okay, Hot Shot, let's assume that this 'Wisp' is real and a part of another alien race, but in the long run-does it truly matter?"

"What? But…but..." Hot Shot couldn't believe this. He felt his spark ache. _"Sir!"_

"Believe me, I know it's not pleasant to be deceived or thought a liar, or even...not be of sound processor." Optimus explained gently. "But so far, there haven't been any more incidents like this, and I assume this Wisp only wanted to trick you once and went on her way."

"Yeah, but..." Hot Shot stumbled with his words. He thought he was so close to finally proving he was stable.

"You just wanted to make us believe it happened and your mind was sound...okay, I believe you." Optimus stated firmly.

"You do?" Red Alert's cool tone faltered into genuine confusion.

"Yes." Optimus tilted his helm at Red Alert in rebuking manner. "You know as well as I do Red Alert that there are more races out there than we know of, and it's quite possible what Hot Shot saw might have been one of them."

"But Optimus..." Red Alert had that look about him of gearing up for an argument.

"I'll admit, it's not hard evidence, but it does sound surprisingly close to our method of travel...too close to be coincidence." Optimus interrupted him. "And until we have evidence proving otherwise, then that's what happened." He gazed at Hot Shot meaningfully. "I for one will believe you Hotshot, and now hopefully we can put this business behind us," his tone went back to being all business, "and focus more on the mini-cons."

It wasn't completely approving, but Hot Shot hoped he could convince Smokescreen and Red Alert in the long run too.

* * *

Carlos let out a whoop of excitement as he busted through the doors, the sound of the bell's echoing ring music to his ears. Sure, it was only recess, but it was twenty less minutes he was stuck in class. He hopped down the steps and quickly scooped up a soccer ball from the rack of outdoor equipment the teachers put out for them. He waved over Rad and Alexis when he spotted them coming out of the school and hurried over to the shade of one of the trees overlooking the playground.

"Summer try-outs are gonna start soon, thought we could practice kicking the ball around." Carlos said as he dropped the soccer ball and rolled it between his feet.

Rad beamed and gave a thumbs-up. "I'm so in, pass it over here." The other boy kicked the ball towards him and shuffled it back over.

Alexis crossed her arms as she rolled her eyes. "Of course you'd be more interested in sports than school."

Rad paused. "So you're not gonna play?"

Alexis stiffened. "Didn't say that."

Carlos snickered. "We'll make a kid out of you yet, Alexis." He grinned when Alexis glowered at him and kicked the ball roughly at him. "No, you gotta get the ball into the air like this." He chastised her as he slipped the tip of his shoe under the soccer ball and jostled it into the air. He bounced the ball on his forehead over to Rad, who jumped back to let it fall onto the ground before kicking it over to Alexis. He felt a sharp sting in his shoulder and winced, grabbing the back of his shirt instinctively. _'I thought it would have stopped stinging by now; don't tell me I got a bruise or somethin'.'_

"Carlos, is something wrong?" Rad asked cautiously.

The brunet straightened up as he waved it off. "Don't worry about me, it's nothin' much. Just fell asleep on my shoulder is all."

Even Alexis looked a bit worried. "If it still hurts, maybe you should go to the nurse. I'm sure you could get an icepack or something to help stop the pain."

"I said I'm fine!" Carlos snapped, but winced guiltily. "I…I mean it, I'll be fine." Neither Rad nor Alexis looked like they believed him, but he was grateful that they didn't ask any more questions.

A sharp shout of distress caught his attention and Carlos looked over his shoulder to see both Billy and Fred cowering by the fence, with Seth and Sid menacing them.

"Hand over the ball." Sid growled.

Billy shook as he clutched the football tightly in his grasp. "No way," he puffed himself up, though there was still a terrified look in his eyes, "this was a birthday present. Go find your own."

"Rotten teachers won't let us use the equipment." Seth said darkly. "Now hand it over or we're gonna make you sorry."

"Billy," Fred cried, "maybe you should hand it over."

The taller boy didn't budge. "Not a chance, this ball is mine."

"You asked for it then." Sid retorted. He cracked his knuckles and stepped forward.

Carlos heard Alexis make a disgusted sound. "Don't they know they're gonna get expelled?"

The brunet's face though set into a determined expression. He squared his shoulders and marched over to them, ignoring his friends calling out to him. It did get the attention of the two bullies, and Seth turned around to sneer at him.

"Look who it is, the little goody-good. Just come back from rescuing a cat from a tree?"

Carlos narrowed his eyes. "Lay off, you two psychos. Billy's done nothing to you; _no one's_ done anything to you."

This time Sid turned around, and both Billy and Fred took the time to get away. Sid's expression twisted up aggressively. "You sure picked a bad day to get on my nerves you little rat." He growled. His lips then twisted up into a nasty smile. "But thanks for volunteering to be my next punching bag."

Carlos hunched in on himself, his expression starting to crack as he tried not to shake. "I'm no one's punching bag." He reminded himself that compared to being cornered by Decepticons and having his very life threatened by a cabin fever-stricken Smokescreen, these two were nothing. He jerked his chin up defiantly and turned away.

He shouted in surprise when he felt something tackle him to the ground. He groaned as a weight settled onto his back and found himself being sat on. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists as Sid stepped in front of him while Seth pulled his hair.

 _'Okay, now I should start being afraid.'_ Carlos thought worriedly. He couldn't believe that these two were only a year older than him and his friends.

Sid sneered at him. "I said you were gonna pay." He hissed, but his eyes bulged out as his head jerked forward when a soccer ball knocked into the back of his skull. He slumped to one knee while glaring over his shoulder at Rad, who was glaring back just as fiercely.

"I'm not gonna let you do _anything_ to my friend." He stated firmly.

Carlos felt immensely relieved despite how still very afraid he should be. "I knew you'd have my back, man."

Seth got up, but still kept one foot on Carlo's back. "Oh yeah, and what are _you_ gonna do about it?"

Rad smiled slowly. "Nothing." He answered simply.

Seth reeled back, and stepped away from Carlos, who was staring incredulously at Rad. "What did you just say?"

Rad's smile never wavered. " _I_ don't have to do anything more." He pointed over to the school doors, and Carlos almost laughed when he saw Alexis had grabbed a teacher's attention.

Sid's expression was almost fearful as he backed away. "Let's get out of here, Seth." He said, but not before glaring down at Carlos. "Now both you _and_ your friends are gonna get it!" he snapped before both he and Seth took off.

Rad walked over to Carlos and helped him up. "How are you feeling?"

"Not too bad, just a bit battered up."

"That's good, I guess." Rad said, but bit his lip. "Not that I don't admire it or anything, but why did you stick up for _Billy_ of all people?"

"He needed help." Carlos answered. "I know he's not exactly your best bud or anything, but even he didn't deserve to be targeted by Sid and Seth."

Rad remained quiet, but his expression was thoughtful as Alexis and the schoolyard chaperone hurried up to them.

"I want you two to make sure he gets to the nurse's office." The teacher instructed. "I have to go deal with two bullies right now."

Carlos waved off their offers to support his weight. He wasn't hurt like Rachel had been after all. "I got this." He assured them.

Alexis crossed her arms huffily as they walked back to the school. "I can't believe you just walked up to them and didn't think to get a teacher. What a boneheaded move!" she yelled, but her features simmered down to concern. "Still, I'm glad to see you're okay."

Carlos grinned teasingly at her. "Aw, I knew you cared." He wheedled, but Alexis only looked away crossly. He paused when he saw Billy and Fred next to the steps. "Hey man, you okay?"

Billy stiffened, but Fred nudged him in the side. "Look, I just wanted to say thanks." He said grudgingly. "I-I mean I could have handled it myself, but-but thanks." He stammered, and tensely walked away.

Fred lingered for a moment longer. "Hope you're okay, Carlos." He added before following after Billy.

Carlos blinked. He was a bit surprised to get a thanks at all, but smiled as he walked back into the school.

* * *

For a short while, Hot Shot was at a loss of just what do after he'd been dismissed from the medbay; it had been distinctly awkward given Red Alert was colder than usual. Was it because he'd managed to get Optimus to believe his 'wild' theories like he'd done with Rad and Carlos?

When his thoughts began creeping back to the strange card he had, he immediately sought out Smokescreen, Jolt and the other two mini-cons. That card was the reason Red Alert and Optimus thought he was still feeling guilty about Wheeljack and funneling his 'displaced' feelings into this 'fantasy.'

"Hey little buddy," he said upon noticing Jolt wandering around with the other two mini-cons in tow, having already found the orangey-pink bot, "how would you and your pals like to play a game? It's getting awfully boring around here, isn't it?"

Jolt put his servos on his lips. _"It's only been a few hours."_

Hot Shot pouted. "You hurt me right here." He placed a servo over his spark. "What do you say?"

Sparkplug warbled something to Jolt, who slumped forward and reluctantly nodded. _"I suppose it wouldn't hurt."_ Jolt straightened up. " _Okay, what did you wanna play?"_

Hot Shot grinned. "Thanks Sparkplug; I don't know what you said but I'm glad you said it." He replied before suggesting tag again. Jolt's stare was downright disapproving. "Come on, even Red thinks I'm fit now-physically. So who wants to go first?"

Jolt crossed his arms, but then abruptly pointed at him. " _You're it!"_ he shouted as he and the other two mini-cons took off down the hall.

Hot Shot stared after them in surprise, and Smokescreen laughed at his expression. "What'd they say?"

"Oh, just, you know," Hot Shot slyly inched closer to Smokescreen, "that I'm- _it!"_ he lunged, but smacked against the wall as Smokescreen jumped back.

The orange mech laughed again as he chased after the mini-cons. "Nice try!"

Hot Shot shook his helm, and glowered at the fleeing group. "Don't think a couple of trick's are gonna help you!"

He chased the three mini-cons down the hall after Smokescreen managed to give him the slip, and almost lost sight of them when they turned a corner. Hot Shot looked around the walls for any cracks they could have hid in, but caught sight of a tiny helm peering around the angle, only to pull back immediately.

The yellow bot smirked. "I'm gonna get you guys!" he shouted and gave chase once more. He skidded to a stop once he saw the mini-cons go running into the engine room, and grinned as he followed them in. He paid no mind to Red Alert as he was hunched over one of the consoles and working on it, the nozzle which had been installed in place of a left servo showering sparks as he tended to the wiring.

Hot Shot turned at one of consoles just as the mini-cons evaded him once more. He felt his energy start to wane and he leaned against the wall. "Who would've thought you little guys would be so fast."

Red Alert paused in his work to gaze up at the yellow mech. "Perhaps if you realized that energy conservation is key, you would know better than to just waste it all in one go."

Hot Shot scowled as he pushed himself from the wall, his fists clenching as he glared at the other mech. "What's your problem with me anyway? Ever since Optimus chose me to be on this team you've done nothing but pick on me!"

"You shouldn't be here." Red Alert said bluntly. Hot Shot's optics widened. "Optimus put you on this mission too early. Not only is your mental health still suffering, but you've gotten the children and even Optimus going along with your delusions, _and_ you constantly keep back talking me."

"That's because you haven't gotten enough of a personality to _appreciate_ my brand of coping." Hot Shot retorted heatedly. "Between you and Optimus it's like I'll go nuts if I can't crack a joke! Sure, it's been better since Smokescreen's been around, but he's still just one mech since the kids are still too scared of him to come back."

"Optimus has no time to indulge with such childish behavior, and Smokescreen must deal with his own issues as well."

"Then what's your excuse?" Hot Shot questioned sharply. "It's like you're more of a machine than this broken ship!"

For one moment, everything went silent. Hot Shot's optics widened once more as he realized what he had just said, while the mini-cons were watching tentative and fearful from the side. Red Alert stared at him mutely for a long time, and he quietly closed the console panel before getting to his pedes.

"Longarm, come with me." he said tightly. "There's work to be done elsewhere."

Hot Shot watched the little blue mini-con follow after the taller Autobot, and he glanced down at Jolt who stared disapprovingly back up at him. The yellow mech shrank into himself. "I…I just seriously goofed up, didn't I?"


	15. Chapter 14: Dash Away Part 2

**Chapter 14: Dash Away Part 2**

* * *

Carlos and Rad waved to Alexis as she rode Sureshock down another street, and they continued on straight ahead. She'd given them a story about helping her parents put the 'cute' things back inside the house, but Carlos thought she still wasn't willing to go back to the Autobots' base because of Rachel's warning. "Hey, you thought about going to see the 'Bots?"

Rad ducked his head. "Yeah, but I figured it was better to wait until things were cool."

Carlos smiled. "You're just trying to make sure I'm really okay, aren't you?"

The blond grinned sheepishly. "Am I that easy to read?" he asked, but his expression twisted up as they reached a wooded area, and High Wire slowed.

Carlos blinked as he had Grindor turned around and frowned as Rad's expression was confused. "Earth to Rad, you sure _you're_ not the one who's feeling weird?"

Rad blinked, his features smoothing out. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just spaced out, it's nothing serious. I'm thinking about all that homework I have to do." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh, anyway, I should probably get home to do it. Later, Carlos!" he said and High Wire turned at the next corner.

Carlos absently waved at him, but turned his attention back to the wooded area. It took a moment, but he could remember helping out that little fox here. He bit his lip as he pulled Grindor with him to the grassy area. "Watch my bags; I'm gonna go check something out, okay?"

 _"Don't take too long."_ Grindor called back.

Carlos waved once more as he made his way into the small clearing in the brush. He could see that things were just like they were this morning. The pile of rocks was still on the ground, and he spotted the bush the fox had limped into. He cautiously walked up to the shrub, and slowly pulled the trees apart.

He froze when he met two sharp eyes that stared up at him in a furry face. The fox had tensed, but narrowed its eyes as it slowly relaxed. There was still that odd dirt pattern on its forehead, but the more pressing issue was its leg.

"Hey there little guy," he said soothingly, "you been here all day?"

The fox keened, its long ears flattening as he rested its head on its good leg. The other front paw didn't look too bad up close; he was no expert but it was probably a sprain. It had the same slack to it that Rachel's ankle had.

As Carlos doubted the fox would be as nice as his mini-con to let him pick it up, he thought of how he could help it. He abruptly snapped his fingers. "That's it!" he beamed down at the fox. "Wait here little guy, I know just who to call for help."

The brunet dashed back through the way he came, and almost tripped over his feet as he reached for his bag. "You'll never guess what, that little fox I helped earlier is still here," he frowned as he dug through his bag, "sure, it's still hurt, but I'm just happy it's alive. I thought Sid killed it 'cause he kept shooting rocks at it."

 _"What a horrible thing to do."_ Grindor said disgustedly. " _It reminds me of how some bots would talk about taking us apart just to see how we could combine with them. They liked the power we gave them, but not the fact they **had** to do it in order to upgrade themselves."_

Carlos winced. "That's harsh. Anyone starts talking like that about you again-Autobot or not, I'll show 'em you don't mess with my friend!" he promised heatedly.

Grindor chuckled, but when he answered, he sounded sincerely touched. _"That won't be necessary, but you're offer is very generous. Focus your attention on your little friend rather than me."_

Carlos rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh, right." He nodded and dialed his home number. "Hey, Dad, I found a fox with an injured leg in the area by the park. It's in the bush, but I don't want it to get hurt or hurt anyone else too if they find it."

 _"And you think bringing it home wild animal is a good idea? I thought we already went through this?"_

Carlos winced; trust his Dad to not play fair. "It's not that big." He protested. "And besides, can't we just take it to the shelter in the next town? It's not right to leave it out here."

His father was silent for a long while. Finally, he let out a heavy sigh. _"Alright; I'll be right there. Stay away from it though; I don't want you to get bit."_

Carlos grinned. "Thanks Dad!" he hung up the phone and pumped his fist into the air. "He's on his way-I knew he'd come through."

 _"How did you know? Have you done this before?"_

Carlos shrugged sheepishly. "Maybe. I used to find small animals when I was younger and my parents would go along with helping me care for them until they let them go. They put their foot down when I started talking about rescuing bears."

Grindor hummed noncommittally. _"My impression of you was that of a rash, hot-tempered child. I can see now that it my mistake to put you into a box-I am sorry. You are more compassionate than I realized."_

Carlos stared at the mini-con. Disbelief coursed through him. He'd suspected that Grindor hadn't thought well of him, but to _hear_ it and get an _apology_ for it? Wow. "Uh, thanks." He mumbled. "You're not so bad either."

 _"You're welcome."_ Grindor replied. " _Though I confess your animal rescue confuses me. Would you mind explaining the details a bit more clearly?"_

Carlos rubbed his chin. "Well, the fox will get taken to a vet to fix its leg, and it'll be looked after until its ready to be reintroduced to the wild." he explained. "I guess it's like what Rachel wanted to do for High Wire-protect him by keeping him with those who could help."

 _"Rachel changed her mind eventually."_ Grindor pointed out.

Carlos nodded. "There's a difference though; you, High Wire and Sureshock aren't animals. You have minds of your own. Animals don't really-they run on instinct, not reason, and sometimes you gotta do what's best for 'em 'cause they can't make that decision for themselves."

 _"That was…quite insightful."_ Grindor said, his tone surprised. Carlos looked at him with a raised brow, and the mini-con hurried on. _"I'm not saying you're not smart or anything, but I as I've said-you've just been the most carefree."_

Carlos shrugged. "Yeah. It always felt like _someone_ had to be. Alexis' trying to be a grown-up all the time, and Rad's kinda all over the place, so I figured-hey, why not just _be_ a kid?" he grinned smugly. "And if it helps my friends lighten up, then that's awesome too!"

Grindor hummed thoughtfully again, which sounded a lot like a string of continuous beeps. He quieted down when he saw a truck pulling up to the side walk a tall human who looked much like an older Carlos got out. He pulled a kit out of the truck bed and a cage.

"Okay, where's the fox?"

Carlos pointed to the woods. "It's back there in a bush just at the clearing. You can't miss it; its fur's this weird shade of blue." He paused when the man's expression contorted. "I don't think it's mange, it still had all its fur."

"Even so, stay put." Mr. Lopez warned.

Carlos glanced back into the woods, and he hesitated. Though his own knowledge wasn't limited, his dad would know what mange looked like better than he did. Cautiously, he nodded and picked up his backpack before moving Grindor to the truck. ' _Still, I hope the little guy's gonna be okay.'_

* * *

Hot Shot knew he'd said a monumentally stupid thing, but he just couldn't swallow his pride enough to apologize. Even when he knew that for the good of the team he'd need to cough up an apology, even with Jolt constantly on his case since he'd blurted it out-he just _couldn't_.

Jolt had left him a little while ago without saying a word, but when he came back with Optimus in tow, Hot Shot realized just what a goody-good mini-con he chose. _"If you won't talk to Red Alert, then talk to Optimus; he's your commanding officer and he deserves to know what's going on."_

Hot Shot grimaced, but reminded himself that this was for the good of the mission as well. "You're probably wondering why Jolt brought you here," he paused as he thought of how to word the 'incident', "I, uh, well-I messed up big time. I called Red Alert a machine."

Optimus sighed deeply in response. "You do realize you have to apologize to him, don't you?"

The yellow mech nodded. "It's just, I-I don't know if I can mean it! Red Alert might be the medical and science officer rolled into one, but he's also probably the most uptight bot I've ever met!" he exclaimed. "He's cold, logical, and acts as if lightening up just a little bit would make the universe implode!"

When Hot Shot's rant petered off, Optimus seemed to be collecting his thoughts. "I sometimes forget just how young you are compared to Red Alert and I." he said quietly. "While the loss you suffered with Wheeljack-" Hot Shot winced at the name- "has worn on your mind, in the grand scheme of the war, many have experienced much similar traumas. You are perhaps one of the lucky few who came online during the lull, but medics don't have that luxury; they often see bots at their worst, and well..."

Hot Shot frowned as he absorbed what he was being told. "So Red Alert's like this because…he hardened his spark?" he questioned tentatively. Optimus nodded and Hot Shot looked thoughtfully down at his pedes. "I can understand not wanting to be hurt again, but he takes it way too far."

"All of us have our ways of dealing with certain situations." Optimus said sagely.

Hot Shot narrowed his optics slightly. "Sir, if you don't mind me asking; just who did you lose?"

Optimus straightened up. "I have lost many to this war, but the one which still haunts me is the loss of a dear friend. He was the first of many who fell to the Decepticons." He paused, and let out a heavy sigh. "Still, we do what we must to soldier on."

Hot Shot wasn't given much time to process this new information, as overhead the mini-con signal blared. All other thoughts of the situation with Red Alert were pushed back as excitement overtook him. "I get see some action again! I was starting to get really bored and apparently no one wants that."

Optimus shook his head. "I hope you take to spark about what I said; we all need a clear processor to deal with the Decepticons."

Hot Shot's mood was a bit dampened by the reminder, but he nodded. "I will, sir." He followed Optimus to the warp room, where Red Alert, Smokescreen and the three Autobot mini-cons had gathered already.

"I have input the co-ordinates to the mini-con panel's location." Red Alert said without looking up from the warp console.

Hot Shot thought of telling Red Alert he was sorry here and now, but the mech wouldn't look at him and the warp gate was starting up, showing the icy landscape where the new mini-con was. When they drove through, it was even colder than he thought, the chilly wind hitting him right in the circuits. "How can anything survive in this environment?"

"We'll know if we happen to see anything." Red Alert said flatly.

"Now's not the time." Optimus pre-emptively cut off the argument before it could happen. "Hot Shot, you and Red Alert will search the north end of this region."

"What?" Hot Shot knew what Optimus might be trying to do, but couldn't he see that this was a bad idea? "Couldn't I go with Smokescreen? I work better with him and-"

"Hot Shot," Optimus said in a warning tone, "my decision is final."

The yellow mech grumbled as he gave into the chain of command. "Yes, sir." He didn't need to see Red Alert to know how miffed he was too about this.

As the two drove off, neither were up to speaking, and Hot Shot certainly didn't want to have this talk out here. His pistons were starting to freeze, his oil began to move sluggishly, and he was sure that Red Alert's frigid silence was enough to freeze the rest of the yellow bot.

 _'This isn't going to get us anywhere, and finding the mini-con's more important anyway.'_ Hot Shot could apologize later, preferably when he was not being forced too. "I'll catch you on the flipside!" he called before gunning his engine.

"Hot Shot!" Red Alert yelled after him, Jolt screebling along with him, but whatever else they said was drowned out by the squeal of tires as the yellow mech sped along the snow.

It crunched under his wheels and Hot Shot was pleased to find the heat of his engine warmed him back up. _'Slowpoke probably can't go faster out here. He wasn't made for the open road.'_ Hot Shot would have lost himself in the sensations of being free to roam had he not had a mission. A mission which would determine his continued presence on the field.

Hot Shot drove along plain after plain, snow glinting off the sunlight. The landscape was disappointingly flat, aside from a few hills or cliff, and there was frustratingly no green in a sea of white. Hot Shot frowned when he thought he heard noise over the sound of his own engine, and not a second later the ground beside him erupted.

"Ahhhh!" Hot Shot transformed and slid through the snow. He wasn't sure if it was the cold that chilled him, or the Decepticons that surrounded him. He gritted his denta as Megatron glared down at him.

"What do we have here? A foolish little Autobot separated from the rest of the unit? How fortunate-for us."

Hot Shot snarled at the bigger mech. "Who says I'm alone?"

Megatron only laughed at his attempt at bravado. His lips twisted into a sneer. "Were that true, you're bluff would hold more weight to it. Now come here you."

Hot Shot tried to pull back, but the Decepticon grabbed him by the arm which reached for his blaster. His instinct was to call for Jolt, but he remembered he'd ditched him along with Red Alert. _'Oh scrap.'_ He was hefted off the ground as Megatron kept a secure grip on his arms.

"Now, what to do with you first." He mused.

Hot Shot glared up at him. "Why don't you turn me around so I don't have to look at your ugly mug?" he yelped as the grip on his arms were tightened to a painful degree. Anymore and he feared they began to dent.

"Don't test me, Autobot. You're only still functioning as a useful bargaining chip." Megatron said darkly. "Though don't expect to go back in one piece if you keep mouthing off."

"Can I have the first crack at him? I still owe him a missile." Cyclonus asked excitedly.

Hot Shot grimaced. It was a hard sight to get out of his helm knowing the smoking remains of Rachel's car were supposed to be _him._ "And what? Mistake a rock this time for me too?" he winced as the plating on his arms began to dent.

Cyclonus scowled at him. "Would have been able to take out those rotten humans if that flesh bag hadn't gotten in the way."

Hot Shot managed a glare, but came to notice that he couldn't see or hear Starscream anywhere. _'Even if one 'Con's looking for the mini-con, I've still got the odds against me.'_ His tank churned in disgust at being so helpless. For making such a stupid and reckless decision.

A _shing_ rang out, and Hot Shot jerked in surprise at the claw which dug into the 'copter's shoulder. Cyclonus screeched as the cable on the claw violently retracted and pulled him along with it. Demolishor held out his servos to brace himself from the impact of the other Decepticon crashing into him, but it wasn't enough and they both were knocked into the ground, revealing Red Alert.

Hot Shot's spark pulsed with relief and shame. _'He...he came looking for me.'_ The tender feeling which bloomed in his chest was constricted by the plating in his arms denting from the grip still on him.

It was not helped by the dark gaze Megatron levelled at Red Alert, his optics burning in anger. "Red Alert." he spat the name as though it were bad fuel, his lips curling into a sneer. "How rash of Prime to allow you to leave his side-and so unwise."

"You mistake me for a cadet." Red Alert said coldly. "I've drawn up several different battle plans, and they all end with you releasing Hot Shot, so why don't you make this easier for all of us."

Megatron laughed darkly. "You may not be green, but you certainly overestimate your position beside Optimus. Or rather," something shifted in his expression, a bitterness seeping in with the anger, " _underneath him?"_

Hot Shot's optics widened. His jaw dropped. A faint buzzing picked up in his audios and he worried hthat he might be short-circuiting. Had he really heard that? Red Alert hadn't even twitched though, his face impassive as ever.

"Plan #3 then." He muttered, and abruptly his voice rose, "Jolt, now!"

Megatron roared when a small helicopter swooped down from the sky, and slammed its gun barrel into the back of his head. He snarled as Jolt flew out of range. "Why you little-" A red laser shot hit Megatron's servo, and Hot Shot took the opportunity wrench himself out of the Decepticon's grasp.

"Hot Shot, let's go!" Red Alert ordered before transforming back to vehicle mode.

"For once I agree with you." Hot Shot said as he reverted to his alt-mode as well. "Jolt, come on!" he called and burned rubber out of there.

Hot Shot could hear Megatron's furious roars behind him, and it had him driving a little bit faster. Questions ran through his processor, most centered around what the 'Con had implied. _'It has to be a lie, I'd notice if Red Alert and Optimus were shacking up.'_ Still, it wasn't like Red denied it…Hot Shot wanted to shake his helm.

Sooner or later though (and Hot Shot was now realizing it would be sooner), he knew he had to talk with Red Alert. It was finally time for everything to be brought into the open.

* * *

Rad had been reluctant to take Kero with him, but if anyone could have identified a card better than him, it was the guardian. "Well?" High Wire indiscernibly leaned forward as he could in bike mode for the answer too.

Kero frowned as he zipped across the forest line, his brow creased worriedly as his body emitted a faint yellow glow. "What did it feel like?"

The blond thought back to that rush of exhilaration, and the exhaustion he'd experienced immediately afterward. "It felt like I'd just got done running."

"I thought so." Kero said quietly. The glow died down as he flew back over to Rad. "It's Dash, but something feels…off about it."

"Cards can feel off?" Rad questioned.

Kero nodded. "I know it may hard to believe, but the cards can get injured if they're magic isn't up to par."

"It's really not all that strange-I wouldn't be able to catch any of them at all if they didn't get a little overwhelmed." Rad pointed out. "But I'd hate to see what this Dash can do if it were up to full power."

"You'd never catch it then." Kero said grimly.

Rad grimaced. He glanced around at the empty street, but couldn't chance that it'd be deserted for long. The rush hour to get home would be starting soon, and he'd like to be back at the apartment before it got bad. "Come on, let's go find that card."

Kero nodded and climbed into the back of Rad's hoodie, curling up in the hood while High Wire began cycling down the street. "Concentrate on that feeling you had when you first felt Dash, and follow it to the source."

Rad nodded and closed his eyes. He went through the motions of riding the bike, but one look at his 'asleep' face and they'd know something was up. He didn't let that discourage him, not when he needed to find Dash. He thought of the rush, the thrill and the blood racing, his heart thumping as he 'ran' and his eyes snapped open.

"I got it!" He squeezed on the handle bars and Rad began peddling as High Wire gave up control. Rad chased the presence along the sidewalk, the pull growing stronger. When he finally stopped, his entire body slumped over High Wire, exhaustion flooding through him. "Man, what a rush." He breathed.

Kero patted Rad on the shoulder as best he could. "It's okay, now you just need to catch it."

"Rad?" Kero stiffened and ducked back into the hoodie as Rad glanced up. His eyes widened when he saw Carlos peering out of a door at him. "What are you doing here?"

The blond felt a chill run down his spine the longer he looked at the house. This was Carlos' home, and Carlos had Dash. _'Oh no. Please don't let this be like Sword.'_ He'd been willing to chalk that up to Alexis being a convenient target, but if Carlos was possessed then it meant the cards were actively going after him. "You…doing okay?"

Carlos raised a brow. "Uh, you're the one who's been acting weird. Shouldn't I be asking that?"

Rad flushed. "Yeah, well," he shrugged awkwardly, "anything new happen since I left?"

"You mean almost two hours ago?" Carlos teased. Rad grinned sheepishly at him. The brunet laughed and shook his head. "Glad you stopped by though, I got something cool to show you!"

"It's not a trading card is it?" Rad asked cautiously.

Carlos gave him a funny stare. "No, why would it be?" he gestured to the garage. "High Wire can talk to Grindor in there. Just be quiet 'cause my dad's still home."

High Wire beeped affirmative as Rad lifted the garage door enough for the mini-con to slip in. _"Remember, just call and I'll be there."_

Rad hoped it didn't have to come to that, but he appreciated the sentiment. "I will." He assured him and let the door fall again. Carlos led him through the kitchen to the back, bypassing Mr. Lopez as he manned the stove. His stomach growled and he blushed.

Mr. Lopez grinned. "Staying for dinner, Rad?"

The blond chuckled weakly. "No, Carlos just wanted to show me something." He managed to say before Carlos grabbed a hold of his sleeve and pulled him outside.

"And here it is!" he waved a hand to the cage at the edge of the patio. His chest puffed out proudly. "I even got to bandage its leg myself, pretty cool huh?"

Rad didn't respond. His eyes were locked on the creature, who stared back with its fur standing on end. It hissed and Rad flinched. The fact it was in a cage gave him more comfort than he thought. "It's something." He found himself saying weakly. "Where'd you find it?"

"Out in the woods." Carlos explained, and then his lips twisted up. "This morning I caught Sid throwing rocks at it and Seth egging him on."

"So they didn't just go after you because you helped Billy and Fred?" Rad questioned.

Carlos shrugged uneasily, sending his father a quick glance. "Not sure, but don't mention it to my dad, okay? He and Mom already think this world's dangerous enough."

"It's a wonder they didn't decide to homeschool you then." Rad said with a weak grin.

Carlos' smile was much more amused. "Don't be giving them any ideas. Mom might be busy with her radio show, but Dad's had a lot of free time he retired from being Indiana Jones."

"I always did wonder where your fascination with caves came from." Rad teased.

Carlos huffed and crossed his arms. "You're just jealous."

Rad's smile tightened. Yeah, on some level he could fully admit that he was envious. He had no right to be; his parents had been gone for nearly three weeks while Carlos had to deal with his father being out on expeditions for months a time. There was no comparison and he berated himself for thinking there was. "What is this? A fox?"

Carlos blinked at the abrupt subject change. "Well, I think it is. It's got the general shape, but the ears are kinda too thin and its tail isn't bushy-oh yeah, and it's _blue_. Dad and I are going to ask the animal shelter people when we take it there tomorrow."

"Tomorrow." Rad repeated softly. If he wanted to capture Dash, he'd have to do it tonight. Carlos and Mr. Lopez were clearly seeing Dash's true form, and he couldn't risk anymore people examining this 'unknown species'. "It's pretty cool, but I gotta get home for dinner. Rachel's ordering take-out."

"Lucky." Carlos muttered.

"I heard that." Mr. Lopez interjected, and Carlos winced.

"I mean, lucky for you. Me? I get to eat the awesome meal my awesome Dad is making." Carlos reiterated.

"Nice save." Mr. Lopez said dryly.

Rad smiled at Carlos' nervous relief, but it strained when he caught Dash glaring at him. _'As far as I know, Carlos isn't an alien or has magic, but with my luck Dash could choose him just to spite me.'_ He quietly bid his farewell and hurried to retrieve High Wire. "Oh, and Grindor, I'll be back later tonight. Turns out that fox is a Sakura Card."

Grindor stared at him, unease flowing from him to Rad. _"Are you sure? Is it dangerous? Should I be worried about Carlos?"_

"Kero?" Rad called quietly.

The plush guardian popped his head out of the hood. "I couldn't sense any magic from either Carlos or his father, but just in case, try and keep an eye on them to make sure they don't start acting funny."

Grindor nodded seriously. _"Then please come back as soon as possible. I don't want that card to hurt Carlos. He cares about it, but that doesn't mean it still can't use that."_

"I'm guessing Sureshock told you about Alexis and Sword?" Rad questioned. Grindor nodded. "I'll…I'll be back then." He replied softly. The door closed behind him as he climbed onto the bike seat.

" _You don't sound all that happy about catching this card."_ High Wire said.

Rad shrugged. "It's just...I saw how happy Carlos was."

"Rad," Kero said seriously, his voice more stern and firm than the blond had ever heard it, "you can't let a card keep running around on its own. Dash is weak now, but it's gonna get stronger. And then who knows what'll happen." His tone then softened and he rested a hand reassuringly on Rad's shoulder. "You're the not the first who wanted to let a card be free, just to make someone happy."

Rad's eyes widened. Did Kero really just volunteer information about the previous Cardcaptor? It was another piece to a puzzle which had always been in the back of his mind. Even if he learned just a snippet, it was telling. "Did something bad happen?"

Kero hesitated. "It's…better to catch them before they can cause damage."

Rad sighed. Looks like Kero was back to being secretive again. "I…I guess so." He muttered. He hadn't even done anything and guilt was already setting in. Could Dash really get strong enough to escape the cage on its own? If he wasted time, then would he be putting Carlos in danger?

He didn't know how long he'd been peddling High Wire around, but even as he remained silent his concern bled through the link. Even Kero didn't intrude on his thoughts.

"Hey, Rad," the blond nearly jumped out of his skin, his heart racing as he wildly looked around. His heartbeat settled down to a more normal pulse when his gaze landed across the street, a familiar dark-haired man standing there, "you okay?"

Rad blinked owlishly. He blushed as he wasn't sure how to answer that. "I…"his voice trailed off as he saw the sack of spades in his arms. "What are those for?"

Marty shrugged. "Dr. Paaswell sent me out to buy them. The class is going on a dig soon." He grinned and playfully wagged his finger. "Don't tell Rachel, it's part of the final exam."

Rad's stomach churned. Rachel…was going away too? _Again?_ His hands shook on the handlebars, his throat constricting. "O-okay, I won't. Promise." He plastered on a strained grin.

He'd wanted a distraction, but not like this. Bile rose in the back of his throat, but Rad managed to keep it down. He hoped he could for the rest of the night too.

* * *

"I think we're safe." Hot Shot said. He wanted to fill the silence that had been kept up after his rescue and subsequently finding a cave to hide in. Jolt and Red Alert could really hold a grudge. They hadn't found the mini-con yet, but given they'd just spent the last hour making sure no 'Con had been able to tail them, leading them to a storage panel might not be the best idea.

It didn't make this any less awkward though.

"Optimus," Hot Shot said into his comm., but all he got was static, "sir? Scrap, the comm's down."

"It's probably the cold, the circuits are likely frozen."

"You speak!" Hot Shot exclaimed, only for Red Alert to jerk his helm away. The yellow mech deflated. "Look, I know I messed up earlier, and I'm real sorry." He said, but Red still didn't look at him. Jolt wouldn't either.

Hot Shot vented heavily, his expression creasing in self-deprecation. "I know I'm not your first choice as a partner, or maybe even your last. I'm loud, obnoxious, I say things without thinking, I-"

"You don't have to degrade yourself." Red Alert cut in. "That's not what I want."

Hot Shot frowned in confusion. "Then what _do_ you want? I'm trying to apologize here but you won't accept it!"

"Because I know it's not _your_ apology. You'll do this to please Optimus, I'll accept to make him happy, and then we'll go right back to how it's always been until you say something else that's incredibly insensitive." Red Alert explained coldly.

Hot Shot's jaw dropped. He floundered to think of a comeback, to rebuke anything of what Red said. Nothing came up though, and he knew why he couldn't fire back. "It's true." He admitted. A heavy feeling settled in his spark and he slid down the ice wall. It's freezing surface chilled his back, but he didn't care. "We can't keep going like this."

"On this we are in agreement." Red Alert replied.

Hot Shot pulled his knees up to his chest plate, cringing only minutely when his arms ached. "Carlos said something to me once; he told me 'it takes two to tango'. I didn't listen because I was happy enough to think that my behavior was your fault, but…I know deep down it's not true. And I can't keep kidding myself."

"It's not as though I am entirely blameless either." Red Alert said quietly. "I should know better than to rile you up, or respond to your jabs."

"Then what's the real reason for it?" Hot shot pressed.

Red Alert vented deeply, his lips tightening. "You…remind me very much of myself, when I was younger." He said it slowly, and watched Hot Shot like he expected another smart remark. Hot Shot though was aware enough that this was important. "In fact, your attitude was much like other mechs I had known. It was early in the war, just before the mini-cons arrived."

He chuckled, and that alone was enough to keep Hot Shot silent. "We were young, so sure we could beat the Decepticons, that our illustrious Prime would lead us to victory."

Hot Shot smiled slightly. "Optimus." When Red Alert shook his helm, the smile was wiped clean.

"Sentinel." Red corrected. "He was the Prime before Optimus, and now with hindsight, I can truly see just how foolish we'd all been to assume defeating the Decepticons would be easy." His tone became grave. "War can wear on even the hardiest of sparks, with each battle tearing you down piece by piece. This," he lifted the nozzle he'd had in lieu of a left servo, "is to remind myself of the cost such arrogance can bring."

Hot Shot had wondered about it, but it was a subject Red hadn't given a reason for back on Cybertron. He was a medic, he should have been able to reattach it. "So, you _chose_ to have only one servo?"

Red Alert nodded tightly. "I can never allow myself to forget that day. I thought we'd finally gained upper-hand with the arrival of the mini-cons, but even with a partner I'd been no match for the Decepticon."

Hot Shot saw a burning anger in Red's optic band, more furious and full of hate than with anything he'd looked at the yellow mech with. "What happened to him? Did you get him?"

Red Alert chuckled bitterly. "No, as a matter of fact, he became one of Megatron's top soldiers. I thought I'd never get the chance to make him answer for his crimes, but that's all changed." His optics band brightened. "And he will pay."

Hot Shot's spark pulsed as he leaned forward. "Who?"

The gaze he received was dark and vengeful. " _Starscream."_

* * *

 **A/N: Oh boy, I can see the arguments already. This little bit is in fact not a liberty. In his bio, it's clearly stated that Red Alert's servo was chopped off by Starscream. It's actually a wonder that they never did anything to indicate this in the show.**


	16. Chapter 15: Dash Away Part 3

**Chapter 15: Dash Away Part 3**

* * *

"If you don't mind…can I ask what happened?"

There was a lengthy pause, before a sigh rang out. "It was supposed to be a simply escort mission. I…I didn't expect things to go so wrong." A pause, then, "It was just a small squadron, not enough to be noticed-or so we thought…

"We were transporting Emirate Xaaron from the Autobot military base in Praxus to Iacon. We disguised ourselves as neutrals, to throw off both Autobots and Decepticons alike-we couldn't let anyone know just what our mission was…" Red Alert clenched his fist. "When we reached our checkpoint, that's when we knew something was wrong-there-there were signs of a struggle at the outpost, and…and that's when _he_ showed up."

Hot Shot stared at Red Alert with wide optics, and not even Jolt made a sound. Xaaron…he'd heard that name mentioned before in the academy. He died in a Decepticon attack at Outpost Theta, and to know that _Red Alert_ was there…had been a part of that disastrous mission… Hot Shot pulled his knees up to his chest and kept quiet.

"No one can say for sure even now if the Decepticons just got lucky that day," Red Alert smiled at that, but it was a bitter, angry smile that Hot Shot found rather unsettling, "or if the rumors circulating about a traitor were true. Starscream didn't say a thing, just swooped in like a ghost and _shot at us_." The medic's optic band dimmed, his shoulders hunching. "Most of the shots missed, but one got our rookie through the windshield-right into his spark.

"I ordered Brawn-the one pulling Xaaron's transport-to get going, but that stubborn bot wouldn't budge." Red Alert chuckled humorlessly. "He wanted _us_ to run, to get the 'old cyber-buzzard' out of there while he dealt with Starscream. He…he lasted the longest, I'll admit." He frowned and vented deeply, his servo clutching his knee tightly.

"We should have ran." Red Alert said, his tone full of self-loathing. "But we didn't. Fastlane and I thought with our mini-cons we could have taken Starscream on together, avenge our fallen comrades and be hailed off heroes." He smiled again, his optic band completely dark. "We were so _stupid_."

Hot Shot knew where this was going, but he was on the edge of his proverbial seat anyway. All this time he'd thought Red Alert was just awful _because_ , not that there was a reason for it. How selfish was he not to notice? To not see beyond his own pain that the others were suffering personal issues too? Optimus kept his emotions tightly reined in, and Smokescreen was acting like nothing was wrong.

He'd been wrong about both of them, and now he was seeing how wrong he had been about Red Alert.

"Fastlane charged first, he was so reckless," Red Alert recalled with a sad kind of fondness, but it was gone as he continued, "but Starscream had been quicker; he managed to avoid being shot, and stabbed Fastlane through the spark. And…then there was only me; an arrogant combat medic who thought he actually had a chance."

Hot Shot's reflex kicked in, but just as he opened his mouth, he immediately closed it. Now was not the time, _really_ not the time, but Red Alert saw his reaction anyway, optic band sparking just a little back to life.

"Go ahead, I know you want too."

Hot Shot cringed, and kept his voice low. "But you didn't."

The medic nodded. "That's right. It was laughably pathetic; despite having just seen Fastlane try to shoot Starscream, I thought I could hit him this time. He…he was barely even trying-didn't even looked _tired_ -when…" he glanced down at the nozzle, and Hot Shot didn't ask him to elaborate. "My mini-con partner was lying somewhere next to me, but I'm ashamed to admit I didn't care if it- _he_ -was hurt. My mind was on the mission- that as Starscream walked into the trailer all I could think of was how I was nothing but a failure. It was my mission, and I had done everything wrong…"

Hot Shot cycled his vents slowly, realizing deeper that not only did Red Alert have his own problems, but that they were more alike than they thought. "I…I'm a failure too," he started, and Red Alert glanced at him, "since you probably knew it when I got transferred to the team, but…but I need to say this." He paused, yet the medic didn't try to interrupt.

"Maybe it wasn't good to get so close to my subordinate-Wheeljack was his name-but I'd been so excited, so eager to be taken seriously. In the end though, I didn't save him, didn't try hard enough to protect him-he…he was my responsibility, my _friend_ and I…he died alone and in pain because of me." Hot Shot felt Jolt gently pat his leg, and he managed a weak smile. "Things began to get better when I met Smokescreen. What about you, does Optimus make you feel better?"

Red Alert jerked back, but the yellow bot refused to believe what Megatron implied. It didn't matter to him if it was true, and this was one area he wouldn't pry into. It took a while though for Red Alert to say anything. "…he does." He answered, reserved once more, but he tensed as though he was bracing for something.

"What Megatron said-it doesn't matter if it's true or not, it's no one business but your own." Hot Shot said cavalierly. "And that fragger didn't have any right to bring it up."

His casual tone seemed to thaw the medic out somewhat, as he at least stopped looking so tense. "Thank you," the words were almost reluctant, but still sincere, "for not asking."

Hot Shot shrugged, grinning at him, but it faded as he glanced outside the cave. It was starting to get cloudy, and that was only going to make it colder. "Think we should risk it?"

"So long as we work together." Red Alert said sternly.

Hot Shot wanted to grimace, but so far disobeying orders brought nothing but bad luck. "Yeah, I got it." He glanced down at Jolt, who gazed back up at him. "What do you say? Still wanna work with a blockhead like me?"

Jolt huffed, but his tone was fond. " _Don't run off again and we'll get somewhere."_

Hot Shot snorted, and the three of them started to make a plan.

* * *

Rad stared down at his key, frowning as he tried to ignore the way Kero and High Wire were staring at him. He could hear the faint scraping of pencil on paper and pages turning from Rachel's room, to prepare for her exam, and he just felt his heart beat faster at that thought too. There was so much on his mind lately, but he knew Dash had to come first.

He just couldn't get over how heartbroken Carlos was going to be. Dash can't be allowed to roam free though, not when it's so full of anger and there's no telling what kind of havoc it could bring.

"Doing the right thing doesn't _feel_ right." Rad muttered.

Kero sighed. "Sometimes it doesn't, but doing the right thing and feeling good about it _all_ the time isn't possible." He looked away. "Believe me, you're not the first one who thought that."

Rad remembered Kero saying the same thing earlier, and this time he doesn't want to ask about this previous Cardcaptor. Knowing they both struggled over someone's happiness and their mission was enough for now. "I-I guess it's time to go."

 _"What about Rachel? She's not asleep yet."_ High Wire said, his tone confused as in the time he'd lived here Rachel would often be gone to bed by now.

"She's staying up late for her final exam-you know, it has to do with her leaving town?" Rad grimaced. How was he supposed to push that thought away when he had to keep talking about it?

High Wire beeped, understanding washing over the link. " _I see, but you didn't tell me what you're going to do."_ Indignation followed, and Rad sighed.

"She's so wrapped up in her studying that she's not gonna leave her room, let alone check in on me." Rad _hoped_ that was the case, since if not- "Though if I'm wrong then I can pretty much guarantee I'll be sent to live with my aunt and uncle."

High Wire nodded, and Rad knew from the understanding passing through him that his friend got it. " _We should do this quickly then, just in case."_

Rad sighed, but couldn't argue with the logic even if he still didn't like it. "Yeah, we'd better get going." He said and told Kero somewhat jokingly, "hold down the fort."

Kero snorted, and Rad found himself snickering quietly, though Kero was not so subtle about his laughter before he and the mini-con made their way out of the apartment.

They both made their way back to Carlos' house, being sure to keep an eye out for anyone that could recognize them. The streetlamps were on, but the sky still had some light left, leaving Rad feeling more cautious since his usual cover of darkness wasn't there and someone could see his face under his hoodie more easily.

He looked down when a car passed by, and only peeked up when he saw Carlos' house. Rad breathed in deeply, and when they reached the garage, Rad tapped it gently. There was some shuffling inside, and a moment later Grindor lifted up the door. Rad got off High Wire's seat and kept a look-out as the mini-con slide under the door first. Rad followed suit when he was sure the coast was clear.

" _You can't go back out that way, it'll be too suspicious."_ Grindor said.

Rad nodded. "Lock the screen door behind us, and we'll go through the gate outside. Leaving it slightly open will let Carlos think that Dash just ran away." He winced as soon as he said it, and Grindor slumped, his despair and guilt flowing through Rad.

 _"I want Carlos to be safe, but I also want him to be happy. And…and Dash makes him happy."_ Grindor said, confused and worried.

"Trust me, I feel the same way." Rad replied. "But Kero says it's not a good idea."

Grindor nodded, and led them through the house, but Rad was confused by how empty it was. Rad glanced up at the ceiling where the rooms were.

"You know, I thought you'd be telling us to wait it out for a bit longer." He said honestly.

Grindor shrugged. " _Carlos and his parental units went out to see a movie, said they wouldn't be back until ten."_

"Yay," Rad said weakly, "we have a whole half-hour to ourselves." It didn't lighten the mood, but he had to try something given what he was about to do. He saw the cage through the screen door, and that Dash noticed him as well, its fur straightening up and he could hear the hissing even if there was no sound coming through.

" _That thing looks mad."_ High Wire remarked. " _I knew these cards were angry, but I didn't think it was this bad that just the sight of you set them off."_

Rad grimaced. "That's nothing compared to how Sword reacted to hearing Rachel's name." he wasn't sure about that; was Sword just violent all the time, or did Alexis not like Rachel and Sword reacted to it? It would explain why Alexis acted so funny around his cousin. ' _I can think about that later, right now focus on Dash.'_

Rad glanced around outside, but the fence around the small backyard gave them privacy and the blond slid the door opened. "Hi, Dash, I take it you remember me?" Dash only snarled at him, ears pulled back. Rad grimaced. "I'll take that as a yes." He muttered, and took the key off from around his neck. "Release!" Dash got even more worked up as the staff appeared in Rad's hand.

"It's okay, I won't hurt you." Rad said in placation. He knelt down in front of the cage. "Look, I don't know why you're so mad, but I don't want to do this either." Dash growled, but its ears twitched like it was reluctantly curious. Rad knew it wasn't anywhere _near_ close to trusting him, but he took what he got. "You like Carlos, he told me he saved you, and I know he likes you too." Dash chirred, glancing away.

Rad sighed deeply, and he could feel High Wire and Grindor staring at him. They were nervous, and he could guess they were wondering why he didn't just seal Dash. He _could_ , but that wouldn't solve anything-it wouldn't make Dash come to him, he hadn't been the one who 'caught' him after all. He wanted Dash to come with him because it wanted too-just he was trying to get Create to trust him.

"I don't understand your situation, or what happened, but Kero said this has happened before, hasn't it?" Rad questioned. Dash stiffened up, crouching down and its ears flattened and it whined. "Please, help me understand." The blond said quietly, hoping his sincerity seeped in.

Dash shifted, and locked eyes with Rad. The pre-teen stiffened, his eyes widening as he felt Dash's magical signature flare, and he slumped forward, and-

- _he saw Dash, cradled in on the lap of a girl with short wavy hair, it's leg bandaged. He saw Dash being petted, being called 'Peewee', and seeing how it repaid the girl's kindness with helping her win her races, and-_

Rad flinched when he found himself lying on the ground, wet grass brushing against his cheek and High Wire shaking his shoulder. "Huh, wha?"

" _Thank Primus you're okay!"_ High Wire said relieved, but then his tone turned demanding. " _What just happened? You were fine one second and the next you just fell over!"_

Rad sat up, and saw Grindor nodding along with High Wire's assessment. "I…I think I get it now." he said, confusion from both mini-cons overwhelming him. "Dash's current situation is the same as its previous one." He then looked at Dash, his eyes softening. "Carlos is my friend; you'll never have to wonder what happened. He'll always be around," he pointed at Grindor, "and he'll make sure of it."

Grindor stiffened, but nodded seriously. _"That's right; I won't let anything happen to Carlos."_

Dash stared at them, tail twitching. Rad held his breath as the card seemed to be scrutinizing them, and he'd felt the same judging gaze that Create 'gave' him. Only…only this time Rad was left immensely relieved as Dash judged them worthy and nodded, albeit still seeming reluctant.

But it was going to try, and that mattered _a lot._

Rad pointed the tip of the staff at Dash, who didn't hiss this time, even when the glowing circled appeared under them, or the shell formed at the tip of the staff. "Return to your power confine- Sakura Card!" Dash's form slowly began dissolving, wisps of blue sucked into the card that floated over to Rad. He found that Dash looked just like it had in real life as it did on the card, but its eyes were closed and the diamond on its forehead was dark purple.

Grindor beeped in relief. _"That was nerve-wracking!"_ he then looked at High Wire. " _When you said he could use magic I didn't think it'd be so intense!"_

High Wire laughed shakily. " _This is nothing compared to some, right, Rad?"_

Rad blinked, and with another glance down at Dash, he nodded. "Got that right." He shrank his wand back into its key form, and put Dash into his pocket. His eyes roamed over to the cage lock, and he grimaced. ' _Still, we can't let this be anything other than just an 'escaped pet'.'_ He reached over and pulled the lock up, letting the imagination fill the rest as the cage door fell open. "Alright, we'd better go."

High Wire nodded, and Grindor hurried back inside, locking the screen door and waved to them. High Wire waved back enthusiastically, but Rad could only manage a half-hearted one, especially as he could still picture Carlos' reaction to finding an empty cage.

Rad left the fence ajar, and both he and the mini-con made themselves scarce as a car pulled into the driveway of the Lopez home.

* * *

The warmth of his engine helped keep the cold at bay-for his interior circuits at least. His outer chassis still felt the biting wind nip at his plates though. Still, Hot Shot griped that it wasn't enough to thaw out the communication links. Jolt was flying high above them, and Hot Shot saw the mini-con begin his descent quite rapidly.

" _I-I see it!"_ he beeped, voice shaking from the cold.

"Jolt's got optics on the mini-con." Hot Shot relayed.

"What's its condition?" Red Alert questioned.

Jolt swivelled around and ducked down lower. " _Trapped in an ice wall; that's why the signal's so weak."_

"Ice wall, stuck inside." Hot Shot said shortly. "Lead the way, Jolt." His partner beeped and Jolt began to fly ahead.

"You two are getting along rather well." Red Alert said mildly.

"Well, I wouldn't say _well_ , just…" Hot Shot paused. "Hey, where's Longarm?"

"I left him with Optimus and Smokescreen." Red Alert replied, his tone even but Hot Shot felt like scrap anyway. "And no, it's not because of you." Hot Shot would have blinked if capable of it. "Longarm told me that he wanted to stay with Sparkplug for now-he also wasn't happy about me going with you."

Hot Shot grumbled. "Do all mini-cons talk about me behind my back?"

Red Alert's engine gave an odd start, like he was huffing. "Soon enough they'll be comfortable to say this to your face."

Hot Shot would have grimaced if able to as well. "Joy." He muttered. That's just what he needed, someone else to nag him with Jolt-like precision. Speaking of which, he saw his partner circle just up ahead, but when they got closer, the yellow bot groaned. "You didn't mention the mini-con was inside a wall- _going down."_

Jolt didn't sound the least bit apologetic. _"You didn't ask."_

"It's no trouble." Red Alert said. "I'll grapple down and blast it out."

"That's going to make a lot of noise, and if some _bot_ comes looking there's be no guarantee I'll be one of ours." Hot Shot said, his earlier capture by the Decepticons fresh on his mind.

"Which is why you'll have to be my cover." Red Alert replied. Hot Shot swerved in surprise. "Don't be so surprised; you're still a part of this team and I trust you-I'm going to have to trust you."

Hot Shot snorted. "Yeah, could've done without that last part-but that's just you, really blunt." He teased.

They both drove to a halt near the ledge of the ice cliff, transforming in the process. Red Alert nodded to his tease before shooting a cable from the nozzle, the end splintering and dug into the icy ground. He tugged the cable taut, and carefully began to descend down the wall. Hot Shot watched him from his perch, and looked over at Jolt.

"Well, think we should link-up now?" he questioned. Jolt nodded, and Hot Shot knelt down to let his partner jump onto his back, and Hot Shot's visor came down as his cannon activated. The yellow bot began to look around, trying to keep as vigilant as possible.

It was difficult though, because as much as Red Alert was counting on him, there were still so many things running through his processor; their talk, the Wisp, that pink card…

Engines roared and Hot Shot ducked out of the way instinctively, laser fire hitting the spot he'd been in seconds later. The yellow bot gritted his denta and looked up to see Starscream circling overhead, a newfound sense of anger directed at the seeker for what he'd done.

"Why don't you come down here and face me!" Hot Shot shouted, knowing just how close that blast came to the grapple base. "You're always going on about it enough!"

"Do you really think you're worth the effort?" Starscream retorted. His cannons heated up, and Hot Shot quickly fired back before he could. The seeker rolled out of the way. "Not even a scratch on me, what poor aim you have."

"Shut up!" Hot Shot snarled.

"Hot Shot, calm down!" Red Alert called from the wall, his voice strained as he tried to remain calm as well. "Don't let your anger get the better of you."

' _Funny,'_ Hot Shot thought humorlessly, _'it sounds like you're trying to take your own advice.'_ He made himself calm down though, to keep Starscream's attention on him, not give him a reason to see what Red Alert was doing. "You think you're so tough up there? I didn't see you with the other Decepticons; did Megatron finally get sick of seeing your face all the time?"

Starscream's engine screamed, his voice rising to an ear-splitting shriek. " _You know nothing!"_ He dive-bombed at Hot Shot, who transformed and Hot Shot crouched down to avoid having a sword taking his head off.

The yellow mech propelled himself forward, catching Starscream around the waist and tackling him, using his weight to knock him over. He knocked the seeker's wing sword away, and straddled his waist, pinning his wrists down. Hot Shot scowled at him, the cannon over his shoulder powering up. "This is the end of the road, Decepticon-you're gonna pay for what you did to Red Alert."

Starscream stared up at him, blank incomprehension on his faceplate. "Who?"

Hot Shot glared at him, leaning in closer. "Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talk- _ah!"_ he reeled back when Starscream slammed his head into his face, and Hot Shot felt his grip slacken before talons wrapped around his throat and he was shoved into the snow, grunting when a knee jammed into his stomach. Through his hazy optics, he could see Starscream scowling down at him, optics narrowed.

The seeker didn't seem bothered by Hot Shot pathetically trying to pull his servo away, or Jolt letting out whines of pain from being pinned under the weight. "I believe, Autobot, that you've got your wires crossed." The knee dug in deeper, and Hot Shot couldn't keep the painful screech in as Starscream knelt down close to his audio. "And while I don't know who this 'Red Alert' is, I'll be sure your comrade down there's last sight will be your greyed corpse."

Hot Shot gritted his denta as the seeker's other servo rested over his chest, digit tips digging into his plating-right over his spark. "Get-get off of me!" he couldn't get his cannon to fire, the seeker was too close!

"I'll make it quick," Starscream muttered, plating starting to shriek under the pressure as his knee thrust in deeper, stomach plates beginning to dent, "which is more than any of you Autobots ever deserved."

Hot Shot's back arched, just to give Jolt some relief even if the knee dug deeper in. His optics began to fritz, sparks flying from his chest where the talons were peeling the plating. It hurt so much-he couldn't believe this was how it ended, even when he tried not to he still ended up making a mess and-

A shot rang out, and the weight on top of him disappeared.

Hot Shot vented in deeply, the cold chilling him but even that was welcoming. His optics cleared, and he saw Starscream holding his side, optics glowing malevolently as coolant began to stream out from under his digits. The yellow bot winced as he rolled onto his side, Jolt beeping in relief. Hot Shot saw to his amazement that Red Alert was aiming his blaster at Starscream, the mini-con panel under his other arm. "R-Red?"

"Can you move, Hot Shot?" The medic asked, his optic band never leaving Starscream. The yellow bot winced again, though he managed to sit up to show he could. "Now then," he continued and the blaster barrel began to glow, "I couldn't hit you before since you had Hot Shot, Starscream, but the next shot is going right between your optics," Red Alert's optic band darkened, "think you'll be quicker than me this time?"

Starscream's optics narrowed further, darkening in anger and confusion. He let out a scoff, turning up his olfactory at them as his frame dissipated by teleportation.

Hot Shot stared at the empty space, trying to wrap his head about what just happened. "Why…did he run away?"

"He was injured." Red Alert said simply. He knelt down next to Hot Shot and handed the mini-con panel to Jolt, who had detached from the yellow mech and clutched the panel to his chest. "Though personally I doubt it was anything we did, and he just decided we weren't worth the effort." His words were tinged with bitterness, but also seemed to just as much mock Starscream's earlier words, but it didn't keep Hot Shot from venting deeply.

"Sorry," he said awkwardly, "you said not to give in and that's exactly what I did. I just…I just got so _mad_ -what you said got to me, and-" he stopped, frowning. "I guess I haven't changed much."

"I didn't expect you to do a complete turn-around in a few hours." Red Alert said bluntly, but it wasn't harsh. "And I said cover me, and you did-even if it didn't turn out so well." He glanced at Hot Shot's chest, and the yellow bot winced when he saw it too-the plating had been partially ripped open, revealing just the bare minimum of his spark, while his stomach plate was dented more deeply than he thought. It hurt to move, and he could feel the metal pressing up against his chamber inside.

Red Alert saw it too, and stopped him from trying to get up more. "We have the mini-con panel, and I can do an emergency teleportation back in the base to bring Optimus and Smokescreen in. Are you going to fight me on this?"

Hot Shot frowned at him, but vented again. "No." he said heavily. He reminded himself even if he didn't like any kind of retreating, this was necessary. "I…" he grimaced, but forced the words out-he wanted things to be okay between him and Red, and this needed to be the start, "I understand."

Minutely, Red Alert relaxed. He gathered Jolt and the mini-con panel in one arm, and Hot Shot in the other before the yellow mech felt them being transported back to the base.

It had been a long day.

* * *

Heavy footsteps clanged down the hallway, and both Cyclonus and Demolishor made sure to keep a healthy distance from Megatron. Their leader had been in a foul mood since the Autobot escaped, and it got even worse when Starscream reported that the Autobots now had the mini-con panel. Starscream was looking for his mini-con, which perhaps at one time would be mock-worthy for its persistence in trying to continually escape, but the seeker's own mood had been just as foul as Megatron's-though the wound he'd done a rough patch job on might have had something to do with it too.

As it was, neither Cyclonus nor Demolishor were exactly sure what to do, not until Demolishor saw the feed on the computer. "Sir!" he risked calling out to his leader, who stopped mid-step, and Demolishor received a glare for his trouble, but the Decepticon pointed to the console. "You said to monitor those strange signals we'd been picking up, and there have been even more detected."

Megatron scowled fiercely as he walked over to the console, glaring down at the computer as several blinking reports seemed to mock him. He glanced over his shoulder at the two Decepticons. "Get out." He said sternly, and both didn't waste time in hastily departing.

The Decepticon leader narrowed his optics at the console. Perhaps now that there were more signals appearing, it just wasn't some glitch or fluke, but could be of use to him. Perhaps even give him an edge over the Autobots-pit, he'd need it with the buffoons he'd chosen. Hindsight was twenty-twenty they said…

Megatron scowled, his pride telling him that this wasn't necessary, but the cold, hard truth said otherwise. They were starting to _lose_ , their victory streak waning. He needed someone to give the Autobots real trouble, to even the odds-and he had just the bot in mind.

Reluctantly, the mech put in the calling signal and waited for the connection to take. The screen was static, and slowly it came into focus with a visibly aged mech that had a predominantly green paintjob accented with purple and gray appeared on the screen.

The bot didn't show any surprise, or if he did, he hid his reaction well. "Well lo and behold, it's you. Why are you calling me?"

Megatron narrowed his optics, the lack of respect chaffing him. "It's Lord Megatron to you." He retorted. "And believe me, I would not be calling if this were not serious, Scavenger."

The mech looked vaguely interested now. "Oh, and what would be giving you-oh great and mighty leader-" he didn't roll his optics, but he might as well have, "trouble?"

"The mini-cons have activated on this dirtball world, and Optimus with his little band of Autobots are here." Megatron couldn't stop himself from remembering his own words when he mentioned the other Autobots-of his anger at the medic for-he gritted his denta and shoved the thought aside, instead being satisfied by the fact the mech on the screen no longer appeared bored and now seemed genuinely intrigued.

"Is that so? And you're calling us to be your back-up?"

"That- _us?"_ Megatron stopped short, frowning over the word and wondered if he'd heard that right.

Scavenger only nodded. "That's right. We're- _Skywarp get away from that!_ " he shouted, and a moment later there was a loud crash. The mech rubbed his brow plate, and narrowed his optics at Megatron. "I'll think on it." He said shortly, and without so much as a by-your-leave, the connection was cut off.

Megatron stared at the blank screen, and for the first time, wasn't quite sure what to think. Though if he remembered correctly, Skywarp was Starscream's cousin, one who didn't particularly like him, and that at least would be good for a laugh.

Would serve him right for his defiance as of late.

* * *

All throughout the morning period, Rad saw how sad Carlos looked under his good cheer, and it made his stomach churn. He didn't try to talk to him until recess though, and even Alexis looked thrown off by how _un_ -Carlos-like he was behaving.

"Is…is there something wrong?" Rad winced at his own question. "It's just…you know, you don't look so good."

Carlos sighed heavily, looking across the soccer field as he, Rad and Alexis sat under the tree by the fence surrounding the school. "Nah, man, it's just…Blue got out."

"Blue?" Alexis repeated, though Rad looked down at the grass.

"This fox I found. Last night after we got home from the movies…Blue's cage was open and the fence wasn't shut." Carlos explained. "I…I know that we had to give Blue up, but I just didn't think he'd run away."

"Well, obviously it meant a lot to you." Alexis said, and Rad winced again-thankfully neither of his friends noticed it. "And just think, it's probably happily eating mice or berries-or whatever foxes eat."

Carlos stared at her in surprise. "Huh. Maybe I was wrong about you, Alexis-you _don't_ know everything."

Alexis glowered at him. "I was trying to make you feel better, you jerk!" she huffed and crossed her arms.

Carlos laughed, and Rad was relieved by the fact it was genuine. "Thanks, really-I needed that." He leaned against the tree, staring up into the canopy. "I know Blue's probably fine." He frowned slowly. "It just sucks-I didn't even get to say goodbye."

Rad sighed. "Maybe…maybe someday you'll see it again, and finally get that closure."

Carlos glanced at him, and his smile was sad. "Nice thought, but ain't never gonna happen. Meeting Blue was one in a million."

Rad had no reply to that. It just made him wish though that he could tell them the truth again.


	17. Chapter 16: Lock It Down

**Chapter 16: Lock It Down**

 _(Alternative Title: …didn't see that coming.)_

* * *

"And remember," Hot Shot heard Red Alert call after him as the former was released from the medbay, "to take it easy."

Hot Shot would have waved it off like before, but this time he knew better. And it wasn't like he still couldn't see Smokescreen though, who reported to him that the mini-con they found wouldn't wake up-just like the one from the volcano. Smokescreen said they would glow from time to time, but nothing more than that. "I got it." He returned and made a turn at the corner, letting himself stretch gingerly.

It felt good to be walking around again, and Optimus had been rather proud of him and Red Alert for talking things out. Hot Shot had seen how concerned he looked when they got to the part where Starscream showed up, and their leader looked at Red with a worry that appeared much deeper than just platonic feelings between friends. Hot Shot hadn't asked though-it wasn't any of his business after all.

When Hot Shot got outside, it wasn't long before he saw three humans and three mini-cons coming up the hill. He was about to wave, but stopped himself. The mini-cons were the ones he recognized, but the blonde head he saw was Rachel's, with no sign of Rad having followed them.

And Rachel looked right fragging mad. Hot Shot sidestepped her as she stormed into the hall, her footsteps loud and thunderous on the metal floor. Hot Shot gazed down at Carlos and Alexis as Rachel didn't wait up for them.

"What's with her?" he asked, not having to ask why they didn't immediately start following after her.

Carlos sighed dramatically. "Ray's just mad that Rad got in trouble-not even like it was his fault!"

Alexis glared over at him. "Rad shouldn't have done that at all! He might not deserve to be in detention with those bullies, but he still broke the rules!"

Hot Shot blinked, raising an optic ridge as he slowly understood what was going on. "So this 'detention' is where you put misbehaving children? What's it like?"

"It's where all the offending parties are put in a room together, and watched by a teacher until they've served their time." Alexis explained, though faltered from her puffed up self-righteousness. "But legally students are only allowed to be kept until four p.m., so it's really just an hour."

"Hmm, that's nothing compared to brig time. You screwed up on Cybertron, and you got sent in there for up to about a week- sometimes even more for repeat offenders." Hot Shot said.

Carlos' jaw went slack, and his eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

"They _are_ a military unit," Alexis retorted, "what did you think they did for punishments?"

Carlos glowered at her, and Hot Shot shook his head. Hypocritical of him, but he couldn't believe he and Red Alert were at each other's throats like this.

Alexis huffed, but looked seriously up at Hot Shot. "Don't say anything to Rachel though," she began to flush strangely, "she doesn't need any more stress."

Carlos snorted. "You're just saying that because you want Rachel to like you." Alexis stiffened up, and Carlos continued with, "This ain't class, teacher's pet."

Alexis' lips pursed, but she refused to say anything.

Hot Shot only followed them silently in, noting that their mini-cons and High Wire weren't chipping in-probably knew better than to get in the middle of things. Smart.

When they got to the command center, Hot Shot saw Red Alert and Optimus standing in front of the console, where the medic was typing away at the keyboard, static filling the screen. Smokescreen was leaning against the wall, with Rachel sending narrow-eyed and suspcious glances from the corner of her eye at him from way across the room.

"Hey, what's going on?" Carlos asked.

"We've been receiving a transmission since this morning, but there's been a bit of interference-either the signalling device is damaged, or I need to check and make sure our systems are more in sync with Earth frequencies. I'm clearing the signal up as best as I can though." Red Alert replied.

As soon as he finished, the static cleared just enough to make out the fuzzy image of a human girl. Perhaps Hot Shot wasn't as perceptive, but he didn't think humans had green hair, and from what could be seen of her face was completely expressionless. Her mouth moved, but only bits and pieces came through clearly. "...panel...stop...help..." It was static once more, but the blaring of the mini-con alert system nearly made Hot Shot jump.

"Well, that can't be a coincidence." Smokescreen mused.

"It does seam odd," Red Alert admitted, "let me attempt to pinpoint the location." His servo flew across the console once more, and the map pinged, with two layers overlapping. "Ah, so it would appear that the origin of the message and the mini-con panel are both in the same area."

"But...but that can't be right!" Alexis shouted, drawing the attention of the Autobots.

"Is there something wrong, Alexis?" Optimus questioned and the girl nodded rapidly.

"The signal is coming from the Pacific Ocean, there's nothing but miles of water." she replied.

"That does pose a problem." Optimus said thoughtfully.

Carlos' fists shook. "You bots can't just give up! That girl needs help! And what about the Decepticons? You think a little water is gonna stop them?"

Rachel frowned. "Carlos, don't-"

"No, he's correct." Optimus cut in gently. Both Alexis and Carlos looked surprised. "Red Alert, get us as close to the signal as you can," the medic nodded, and Optimus looked down at Rachel, "I regret asking this of you, but will you accompany us? I will not risk the children, and you have a rather commanding presence that keeps them calm."

Hot Shot blinked. He looked between the two kids and Rachel, the blonde having an uneasy expression on her face.

Rachel sighed deeply. "Okay, but I'm doing this for that girl." Carlos whooped, but Alexis' cheeks burned red as a strangely angry look came over her face. "When do we leave?"

"Right now." Red Alert said. "I have gotten as close as possible to the signal," he then looked at Rachel, "and I have modified the suit to withstand pressure and provide oxygen and communication should we be separated and your phone will not work."

The blonde nodded. "Good." she noticed Carlos walking up to her nervously. "Yeah?"

"Uh, can you take Laserbeak with you?" he grinned sheepishly, "'cause I've never seen the ocean before."

"He just wants to see that girl again." Alexis muttered.

Carlos glared at her, his cheeks turning red this time. "That's not true! I think there might be some cool stuff down there we could show R-" he cut himself off, his gaze nervous once more as he glanced at Rachel.

The blonde's eye ticked at the almost slip. "Just hand Laserbeak over."

Hot Shot snickered and followed the other Autobots to the warp gate. He saw Red Alert looking at him, and the yellow mech huffed. "Don't get your tailpipe in a twist, I know I'm not going. Just wanted to give yous a send off."

Below them, Rachel stepped onto the panel and blinked as when the jumpsuit came over her, so did a helmet. "Okay, I admit this is pretty cool." she said to herself. She held out her arms and looked at Carlos and Alexis. "What do you think?"

Carlos grinned and gave a thumbs-up. "Awesome!"

Alexis blushed. "You look nice."

Rachel frowned at the girl. Was she getting sick? Did she need to go to a doctor? "Alexis, you're turning red, are you feeling okay?"

"Of course I am!" Alexis said sharply, but then flushed deeper and glanced away.

Rachel shook her head. "If you say so." she found Grindor, Sureshock, and High Wire stand next to her. "You sure you wanna come along?" They nodded.

"You guys coming or not?" Smokescreen called out, catching the attention of Red Alert, Optimus and Rachel.

Rachel and the three mini-cons walked over, but she stopped when Smokescren transformed into his car form. "Yeah, hey, Optimus, think you can give us a ride?" she asked turning from Smokescreen to the big rig.

"Hey, what about me? I'm already tansformed." Smokescreen called out indignantly.

"No offense," Rachel snapped, "but I'd rather go up to Megatron and call him weak than go for a ride with you."

"Hey, come on; what did I ever do to you?" Smkescreen asked annoyed.

"What did you do?!" Rachel shrieked, her eyes blazing.

"Easy, easy!" Hot Shot cut in. "Cool it you two. We don't need to start any fights. You have an important mission to go on."

"Quick, someone check Hot Shot for a fever." Red Alert said dryly.

"Shush you." Optimus admonshed with an amused chuckle. He reset his vocalizer, serious once again. "Smokescreen, Rachel, for the duration of this mission you will be civil. What has caused this problem will be sorted out afterwards, understood?"

"Yes, sir," Smokescreen said, as Rachel replied with, "Yes, Optimus."

The Autobot leader nodded. "Good, now let's hurry and find both the mini-con and the girl before the Decepticons get wind of this."

* * *

Rad's head rested on his arms, though it didn't help him forget how angry Rachel looked when the principal called her in. She kept her words curt as she told him they'd have words later, and Rad wanted nothing more than for the ground to swallow him whole. He couldn't believe how dumb he'd acted, how _childish_. He was twelve-years-old! He should have had better self-control than to throw his sandwich at Sid.

But he'd heard the bully badmouthing his friend, and so Rad, guilty over taking Dash from Carlos, snapped.

It was complete silence in the cafeteria...right until Seth throw another kid's apple back, and Rad ducked instinctively-beaning Billy on the head. And it escalated from there to a full on food fight. Rad, Billy, Fred, Seth and Sid had been singled out as the main instigators and were told to help the janitors clean up the mess before reporting to detention after school.

...but not before getting a visit from their parents-or in Rad's case-and guardian.

Along with the shame, Rad felt the glares burning into him. He peered out from between his arms and saw Sid and Seth scowling at him. Fred and Billy were trying hard to pretend none of them were there, as evidenced by the fact they sat as far across the room from them as possible. For once Rad couldn't blame them. The only thing keeping Seth and Sid from getting after him was the teacher apathetically reading a magazine at the front of the detention room.

"Uh, can I go to the washroom?" Fred asked abruptly.

The teacher didn't look up. "Use the one at the back, that's it there for."

Fred glanced at the open door revealing a cramped space. "Never mind."

Rad frowned slowly, the hairs on the back of his neck starting to stand on end. _Huh, what's going on?_

The teacher put the magazine down and got up from his desk. "I'll be back, I need to go out for a minute."

Rad's body felt tense, his heart speeding up as he was ready to react but he didn't know to _what_ yet. The door clicked shut behind the man...and over Rad came an unescapable feeling of being trapped, of being boxed in. The blond sucked in a sharp gasp.

Fred tapped his foot, and rushed up to the door. "I can't wait anymore!" he turned the knob, and Rad's eyes widened when it didn't budge. "What? Oh, come on, why won't it open?"

"Can't even open a damn door? Pathetic!" Sid said and he aggressively shoved Fred out of the way. Rad tensed his legs, his fingers gripping the edge of his desk. Sid jerked the door knob left and right, but it didn't budge. "We're locked in!"

Rad was ready to explode from the tension. And then he heard Seth, his voice low and scarily thoughtful.

"We're locked in...we can't... _no one can get out."_

Rad bolted. He heard the crash behind him, of a body lunging for him but hitting his desk instead. The blond slammed the washroom door shut and locked it. Rad reeled back, colliding with the sink as the pounding on the door started up. He sucked in a large breath, his heart racing. _It feels like I just used Dash's power_. He gripped the key around his neck, but instead went for his cell phone. Kero needed to know what was up, and Rad hoped the door held out.

* * *

Rachel would be lying if she said that seeing nothing but water surrounding them wasn't boring, but it was. _So_ boring, but the fact the mini-cons beside were beeping and whirling, with High Wire's little exclamations of excitement at the odd school of fish or stingray was amusing. The kids back at the base with Hot Shot were oddly quiet, but she thought they likely found the monotony just as dull.

That is, until Optimus came to a dune...and on the other side were ruins.

The kids made awed sounds, and Rachel sat up straight, Laserbeak in camera mood jostling in her grip. The mini-cons leaned in closer to the windshield as well. "From the looks of things," Rachel started, "I'd say they were old, _very_ old." she frowned. "Red Alert, are you sure the signal came from _here?_ "

"Positive." Red Alert replied. "Is there something wrong?"

Rachel furrowed her brow. "I thought the girl had just sent a distress signal too, but with how these ruins look...it shouldn't have been possible. Communication networks-at least, not the holographic kind-didn't exist back then."

"And how do you know this exactly?" Smokescreen questioned, but Rachel stubbornly refused to answer him.

After an awkward beat of silence, Optimus cut in. "Autobots, proceed with caution."

"Yes, sir." Was the chorused reply.

"Ray," Carlos said in Rachel's ear, "do you think that girl's okay then?"

The blonde sighed. "I don't know, but I guess we're gonna find out." No sooner had the words left her mouth did Optimus' cabin shake. "What the heck!" she craned her neck, pressing against the window as best she could with the helmet on. Her eyes narrowed, teeth gritted when she spotted several _unwelcoming_ forms floating above them. "Damn Decepticons."

"Rachel," Optimus said, drawing the blonde's attention, "find a way inside, and search for the mini-con. Comm. us when you find it."

The woman stiffened. They wanted _her_ to do this? The last time hadn't worked out so well. Rachel frowned. _Then again, better the Autobots get the mini-cons before the Decepticons._ "O-okay." she hated how her voice stuttered, but Optimus acted as though he hadn't heard it when he replied.

"Good, I'm going to let you out and we'll prove cover for you and mini-cons."

"Right." Rachel said. She folded Laserbeak and set him inside her suit pocket, and hoped the pressure outside wouldn't wreck the bot. _What I am thinking-I hope the pressure doesn't kill_ me. Rachel took a deep breath, and when Optimus slid his cabin so one side was obscured by a broken part of a ruined wall, she jerked her head and the mini-cons followed her out. They ducked behind the wall and watched as Optimus drove off, the transformation sound dulled by the water. "Okay, let's get going."

" _Yes, Ray."_ High Wire said, with Sureshock nodding and Grindor beeping.

Rachel checked to make sure the Decepticons wouldn't notice four smaller beings skulking about, and led the mini-cons to another broken wall. No one spoke on her headset, which made thinking a lot easier. _Okay, we need to just find_ some _place big enough to fit us..._ her eyes roamed over the larger ruin, the doors out for being too big to open, but much of the cracks running along it were too small to fit through or were shallow grooves.

The blonde led the three mini-cons further along the ruin, gritting her teeth as she could feel the water on the suit and how impeding it felt to move around in. _I just hope the inside is dry._ Her eyes widened when they rounded the corner, because just ahead was a crack big enough to fit them. "Hurry, go on." she ushered the mini-cons in first, and ducked in last.

Relief lasted only a moment, because after 'we're inside' was _and now what?_ Rachel gritted her teeth, gnashing them together. _Find a door,_ she told herself sternly _, and then the panel._ Rachel scanned the room she was in. It was filled with water, no surprise, and much of the wooden furniture had rotted away. The stone door though, was still standing. _"_ We all gotta open this door, and close it as quickly as possible to keep the water out." Rachel squared her shoulders. "Brace for impact."

The mini-cons nodded, and Sureshock and Grindor grabbed one end of the double door, while Rachel and High Wire grabbed the other. Rachel counted to three, and they _pulled_. The pressure kept the doors from opening, sand disturbed by a door opening that likely hadn't been ajar in hundreds of years. Rachel's muscles burned, and slowly the group worked around the water rushing around them into the next room to stand on the dry other side.

The door felt even heavier, and Rachel made sure none of the mini-cons had been left on the other side. "Let go now!" she ordered, and as one, they reeled back in time to avoid the water pressure slamming the door shut once more. Rachel heaved a loud sigh, slumping over and chuckled wryly when she heard the frantic pleas on the comm. "We're alright, kids, and Hot Shot, just let me get Laserbeak out again."

Fishing the bird bot out of her pocket, Rachel turned on the camera and saw at the same time what the kids saw. _Whoa_ , was the prevailing thought.

Water that gushed in did little to disrupt the _people_ milling about, but before Rachel could say something, the images flickered to tip off they weren't there. And the fact some of the holograms stepped into the water without it being disturbed. The room was wide and an unnatural lighting have the place an odd feel. It all looked so... _pristine,_ as though to contrast with the ruined outer casing with this breathtaking interior. _How is this possible? I suppose that's what we're gonna find out._

Rachel looked around, her eyes taking in the fact there was only one hallway. "Guess we're taking door A. Come on."

 _"This place is weird."_ High Wire said simply, with his mini-con compatriots nodding along.

Rachel smirked. "Can't argue with that." The smirk faded as she remembered what was happening just outside, and just what Optimus entrusted her with. "We have to keep on track, so let's finish this mission and get out of here."

* * *

Rad slid down the washroom door, one hand running through his hair as he held his cell phone up to his ear. His eyes stared up at the ceiling, grimacing as the banging on the door stopped moments before, but he was not optimistic to think that Sid and Seth had given up. The ringing on the phone was cut off, and Rad cut right to the point. "Kero," he whispered, "there's a card here."

" _At your school? Not again."_ Kero groaned. _"What's it done this time?"_

Rad was thankful Kero hadn't asked _why_ he was still at school, but knew it would come up later on. "Let's just say I'm locked in a room with four other people and the door won't open. When I sensed it, it felt like I couldn't escape."

Kero hummed over the line. _"Has it tried attacking any of you yet?"_

Rad furrowed his brow. "What? How would it do that-?" he was cut off by a scream outside. Tentatively, Rad unlocked the door and his eyes widened. "Uh, forget what I just said."

In the room, Seth was clutching his head while Sid tried banging on the door, only for a _flying chalkboard eraser_ to try smacking him upside the head too. A globe was tossed off the desk by the door and knocked into Billy's side and he screeched, cursing as he held his side. Fred reeled back, tensing.

"Where's the teacher? I think the room's haunted!" he shouted.

A pencil lifted from the desk, it's sharp lead point glinting and Rad closed the door. He jerked back when the pencil impacted the door, its sharp point managing to _pierce the wood_. "Yeah, it's not good." Rad said, swallowing thickly and nervously. "Some invisible force is attacking us."

 _"Lock."_ Kero said seriously. " _Be careful. Lock itself can't hurt you, but you've seen its not helpless."_

"I think we need to talk about how your definition of 'can't hurt you' is _vastly_ different reality." Rad replied. "But I got it, I'll talk to you later."

 _"Be careful_." Kero said.

"I will." Rad said and put away his cell phone. He took off his key and kept his voice low, "Release!" The key elongated into the wand, and Rad reached for his pocket-but froze. A chill ran down his spine, his heart pounding as he realized his cards were in his backpack...and his backpack was still at his seat! Rad shut his eyes tightly, gritting his teeth. _How could I have been so stupid to leave them behind!_ "What am I gonna do now?" he breathed, but the commotion outside caught his attention.

"Let us out, let us out!" Fred yelled, fists pounding on the door, and yelling as a loud _twack!_ rang out.

"Whoever is out there, you're so dead!" Sid roared, but yelped as another _twack!_ signalled him being hit too.

Rad frowned. _I don't like them, but I can't just sit here._ He stared down at his wand. Rad closed his eyes, and tried to think things through. With everyone being distracted, he'd only have a few moments at the most to grab the card which would help him most. Opening his eyes, Rad nodded to himself. Counting down, the blond ducked outside.

Both Fred and Sid were clutching their heads, while Billy was shielding his scalp and Seth was cowering behind Sid; no one noticed Rad until he grabbed his bag. He dived for the teachers desk and pulled himself under, his hand fishing out Sleep. "Give them a nap, Sleep!" he tapped the card and Sleep nodded as she floated into the air.

Rad peered out from under the desk. Both Sid and Seth looked ready to dive after Rad, but both Billy and Fred were looking up, but all the same, Rad was glad the two pairs passed out at the same time. "Thanks." he whispered as Sleep returned to him in card form. Rad tucked her into the small deck and he stood to face Lock. He set his bag down and pointed at the door. "Come out of there, it's over."

As if to prove him wrong, several books on the teachers desk flew at him. Rad batted them away with his wand, and a moment of inspiration struck him. Rad grabbed a card from his deck and tossed it into the air, the wings on his wand growing. "Sword!" he shouted and the wand transformed into the bladed card. Rad rushed at the door, and with a thrust he stabbed at the keyhole.

A flash of light almost blinded him, and while the key's lock gave way, Rad saw the ghostly padlock floating in the air. Sword returned to card form, and Rad grabbed Windy. "Trap Lock, Windy!" The spirit burst free from the card and wisps of wind wrapped around the padlock, forming into a constraining sphere. Rad pointed the wand at Lock, the golden circle appearing underneath him as the shell card appeared overhead. "Return to you power confine, Sakura Card!"

Lock was swept up into a vacuum, its form dissolving as it entered the card. Slowly, Lock and Windy floated back down to Rad, with the blond noting that Lock's card was completely shaded in a lighter pink. Rad smiled to himself at the fact he captured the card without being seen, but grimaced when he saw the sorry state of the room. _I guess I better clean up some of it before the teacher gets back,_ he glanced down at Lock, _but first, gotta right my name on Lock._

* * *

Rachel froze mid-step, the mini-cons stopping just as abruptly as a familiar figure appeared before them. She narrowed her eyes, recognizing the green hair most of all. "You're the girl that sent the distress signal." she couldn't cross her arms due to Laserbeak, but she definitely did to get her point across. "So you weren't real."

"That's a bit harsh, Ray." Carlos retorted, while Alexis loudly shushed him.

The girl frowned, her eyes spotting the mini-cons before settling back on Rachel. "You should not have awakened the Orichalcum, I fear my warning was not received as intended."

Rachel blinked. "Wait, so you _weren't_ calling for help? Then what the heck did you say?"

The girl clasped her hands in front of her, and the words came out like they were rehearsed. "You must not search for the panels. Stop this foolishness or there will be no help for you all."

"That's...really ominous." Alexis said quietly.

"Yeah, I...I thought she was pleading for help." Carlos said.

"This is fragged up." Hot Shot muttered.

 _Well, this isn't good._ Rachel closed her eyes for a moment, and despite protests she put away Laserbeak. "I think I'm going to need an explanation, because these," she pointed to the mini-robots behind her, "are called mini-cons."

"If it will get you to understand, very well then." The girl said and continued walking down the hall.

 _"Is it me or did things get a lot creepier?"_ High Wire questioned, and both Sureshock and Grindor nodded.

Rachel would have answered him, but if the holographic girl's reaction to _seeing_ the mini-cons was anything to go by, the blonde wasn't about to make things worse by revealing she could communicate with High Wire. Once they stepped into a large open space, Rachel saw the ceiling and wall before her start to shift, turning into a picturesque city landscape.

"I come from a civilization that was lost centuries ago." The girl started. "We made the same mistake you have; we found three strange panels, designed much like shields, but they turned into the Orichalcum-or mini-cons as you have said-and the three combined into a sword of fire."

High Wire jerked at that, and looked at the two other mini-cons with him. _"How could they have awoken them first and not activate the signalling device? Why didn't the Autobots and Decepticons arrive back **then** to look for us?" _ Rachel was tempted to ask, as even Sureshock and Grindor didn't look as though they had a clue, but kept quiet as the girl continued speaking.

"We harnessed the energy of this weapon, and in truth our obsession with this sword led us to think we were invincible." she looked ashamed, her eyes downcast. "We used it to battle other civilizations, and in the end that is what became our downfall when we fought in a war against another civilizations that had their own mini-con weapon."

The ceiling shifted once more, this time to a burning city while in the sky was a white and blue blade with a large handle that tapered before widening and ended in another tapered point. Behind it was a flat dark shadow just barely visible. Rachel couldn't see much, but it was vaguely like an upright starship.

"So I implore you to heed my warnings. You do not know the full power the mini-cons possess. And I must caution you against finding any more of them. Please leave here and forget about them. It's your only chance to survive. Don't make the same mistake that we have. Save yourselves and this planet." The girl pleaded.

"But that would be stupid!" Rachel snapped in annoyance; her patience had been stretched thin, too many questions and not enough answers. The holographic girl stepped back in shock. "If we leave them be, then they'll just get taken by the Decepticons who _will_ use them for evil and conquest!" The blonde stated. "It's only possible for evil to suceed, if good men do nothing. And while the they aren't truly men, the Autobots are the most good I've seen."

"If you retrieve the mini-cons, then all that I have done here has been in vain. History repeats itself and you are doomed." The girl said grimly.

"But we won't use them." Rachel retorted, but then frowned and revised her statement. "I mean, the mini-cons have a choice not to fight. And if the Autobots recover them all and defeat the Decepticons, they're free to do what they want. But the Autobots can't stop the Decepticons without the mini-cons, and if they lose, the mini-cons _will_ be enslaved!"

"But further use of the mini-cons will just doom the planet." The girl replied. "And not just our world, but the other ones wizard Clow Reed tried to warn us of, but we refused to listen to him. He used his magic to seal and scatter the weapon mini-cons, but he could not save us from ourselves. Now he was the only one to know about us, to remember us... until now."

The girl's words cause Rachel to frown. Wizard, magic? What the heck was this? The blonde shook her head, trying to ignore the static of the kids back at base chattering about the tale. That revelation wasn't important right now, finding the mini-con was and...Rachel bit her lip. _Maybe I can get her on our side,_ she took a deep breath, _here goes._ "Look, if nothing else...you can come with us. I mean, if we remove the chip, or whatever is producing you...you can come and see for yourself." Rachel said earnestly.

"You mean it!?" Carlos shouted happily, the loudness of it almost giving Rachel a headache.

"Carlos!" Rachel scolded rubbing the side of her head. "Not so loud. And yes, I do..."

The girl frowned and glanced to the side, her eyes holding a far-away look in them. She closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them there was a determined glint in them. "The chip to my hologram is in the crevice to your left. It's flat and circular."

Rachel nodded, even smiling slightly as she could hear Carlos whoop and Alexis' groan, but as Rachel started to look for the hologram projector, a massive crash startled her and the mini-cons with her. The wall on the other side of the room was caved in, and Rachel saw that the water was beginning to rush in, the massive form of a Decepticon standing in the rubble. Rachel's stomach dropped as she saw which one it was.

"Hahahaha! Is that the scent of a mini-con I smell in here?" Megatron mockingly declared. He gasped in surprise when he saw the image of the Star Saber falling down from the sky on the ceiling projection, the hologram fading away afterwards. Surprised turned to rage when he saw the small forms on the other side of the room. _"Insect_ ," he growled, "what a _pleasant_ surprise; not only will I get to finally kill you, but I shall take your mini-cons too!"

 _How the hell did he know it was me? Is it because I'm just that much taller than the kids?_ Rachel thought to herself, but held her arms out protectively in front of the mini-cons. "You won't be taking them, not now-not ever!"

High Wire grasped Rachel's arm as Megatron's mouth twisted into a snarl. " _No! Find the girl's disk and let us handle him!"_

Rachel frowned. "What-?" she only turned to them for a split second, but she missed the Decepticon reaching for his cannon.

The mini-cons didn't though. Rachel barely had time to gasp before in a flash of light the three became _one_ and the blonde's head spun as she was lifted up, a loud _boom_ ringing out and her eyes widened as she saw the rubble where they'd been standing. Her gaze was still wide as she was set down, craning her neck up to meet the visor of the robot that wasn't much bigger than her. "H-High Wire?"

 _"It's Perceptor, at least in this form."_ The voice sounded like a mixture of three different tones, but the hand placed on her shoulder was definitely from High Wire's part of the bot. " _Find the projector, let me protect you this time."_

Rachel felt a jolt run through her, the memory of being in the dirt and shielding High Wire's body with her own to keep him safe. Of them both being too scared to do anything more. "Okay."

Perceptor nodded, and ducked around her. The robot jumped onto Megatron's waist cannon, using it as a springboard before launching up to his face, where one foot kicked into the forehead. Megatron roared and tried swatting it out of the air, only for Perceptor to use the Decepticon's antlers as a landing perch.

"Stay still you little runt!" Megatron yelled. "Leader-1, detach and find that blasted mini-con panel!"

Rachel saw a small white bot land on the ground, and she decided it was time to stop gawking and get on with her own search. She sprinted to the wall, and almost jumped when the girl appeared beside her. "Give a heads up next time." The girl looked confused, and Rachel shook her head. "Right, different time; what is it?"

"The mini-con panel is in the rubble that the larger creature caused." She replied, and Rachel saw a glint of green in the stone. Her throat constricted as she saw the white robot notice too. The green-haired girl stared at her seriously. "If you are truly certain about these 'Autobots', that they are a force for good; leave me and take the panel instead. You will not be able to do both, not with the water starting to rise."

The blonde gritted her teeth, Carlos' protests muffled by Alexis yelling over him and Hot Shot saying he was cutting off the line to give her some quiet time. For the first time since the mission started, she was alone in her own head. What she decided next would be her choice, and hers alone to make-and to take responsibility for. Rachel took a deep breath. "Retreat into your disk, you're coming with us."

The girl looked surprised, but Rachel didn't stick around make sure she followed through. Rachel felt the crevice in the wall and a piece of it lifted revealing a slot with a circular disk poking through. The blonde only looked back then, and winced when she saw Leader-1 had the mini-con panel.

"Yesss, the first component to the Star Saber is mine!" Megatron said triumphantly, managing to finally swat Perceptor away, sending the smaller robot into a collision course with the wall.

Rachel pulled the disk out of the slot and tucked it into her pocket. She trudged through the water that was up to her waist over to Perceptor, the robot falling apart back into three separate mini-cons. "Megatron has the mini-con panel," she said into her headset, but no one replied, and her eyes widened, "oh shit, Hot Shot turned off the comm.!"

The shout unfortunately caught Megatron's attention, who grinned darkly down at her. "And now there's only one thing left to make this hunt complete." He grabbed Leader-1 and the mini-con panel before he started to stalk over to the group.

Rachel felt High Wire grab a hold of her, his grip tight as he pulled himself in front of her. "What are you doing?"

 _"He can't hurt you as long as I'm here."_ The mini-con said firmly. His hand shaking as he held her arm spoke volumes about his fear.

Rachel's chest constricted, and she felt guilty that High Wire felt the need to prove his worth by acting as her shield. "I'll distract him, just out of here. And take her with you." she began to take the disk out of her pocket, but Sureshock stopped her, stepping up to her side while Grindor was at her other side.

"You think this makes you safe?" Megatron sneered. "You're all bunch of pathetic weaklings."

"Protecting someone does not make one weak, Megatron."

The Decepticon looked to the crumpled wall, where Optimus stood, his blaster at the ready. "Prime." Megatron spat. "You got past my troops it seems." he smirked and held up the panel. "No matter, I have what I came for. Mechs," he said into his comm., "the mini-con panel is ours, fall back."

Rachel slumped lower, the water not bothering her as it rose to her chin. She couldn't look at Optimus, even as High Wire pulled her with him towards the bot, who transformed and let them inside the cabin. "I-I-"

"You don't have to say anything, it's not your fault."

Rachel's insides twisted. "It is though, I choose between either the girl from the transmission, or the mini-con panel." Optimus didn't say anything, and Rachel straightened up. "And I take full responsibility for my actions."

"Do you feel what you did was right?"

Rachel blinked, deflating as she didn't expect the Autobot to sound so _calm_. "Huh?"

"At the end of the day, you have to be able to live with your decision. Had you done what you could have, tried harder, or was there no choice? Tell me, Rachel Becker, did you do the right thing?"

The blonde frowned slowly, her eyes staring down at the disk in her hands. The cabin was silent, as even the mini-cons were holding their non-existent breath. Rachel closed her eyes for a moment, and nodded. "I did. Leader-1 was already going for the panel, but part of our mission was to help the girl. It wasn't an easy choice, but I did what I thought was best." she shook the disk momentarily. "She knows things about the mini-cons, and she said she'd help you." she paused, but added, "and she even tried to get me to after the panel too, to forget about her, but I couldn't do that." she said quietly.

Optimus didn't say anything, nor did Rachel look up when they met up with the other two Autobots. Neither asked about the mini-con, and whether they guessed or their leader told them, Rachel didn't ask either.

She'd come along to forget about her anger towards Rad, and now she was just left cold.

* * *

With a heavy spark, Optimus related to his troops what Rachel explained to him. He'd waited until she took the children and mini-cons home, as he did not want any resentment to be directed towards her.

Hot Shot looked away, his optics downcast. "At least she was able to save someone." There was no shortage of self-loathing, and when he asked to be excused, Optimus didn't stop him.

"Tough call, don't think I wouldn't been able to make a choice." Smokescreen added before following after Hot Shot.

It was just Red Alert and Optimus, their mini-con partners having retired to their quarters when they arrived back on base. The medic looked at Optimus, frowning thoughtfully. "What's wrong?"

Optimus vented heavily. "I keep telling myself that in reality, Rachel isn't one of my soldiers; she's a human being who trusts us to keep the children and mini-cons safe. And yet today I entrusted her with a responsibility I shouldn't have. I placed _too much_ responsibility on her, to find the mini-con and rescue the girl. She's still a youngling, and I had no right to feel... _irritation_ at her guilt."

The medic stepped up to Optimus' side, his servo gently easing open the digits that formed into a fist. "It is as you said, Rachel did what she thought was best, but she looks up to you, so I think it's reasonable to assume she'd feel guilty for disappointing you." he slid his servo into the Autobot leader's grasp. "It's easy to forget that she can only do so much, given how she can handle the children all the time."

"It is." Optimus agreed. "She is not my soldier, nor are the children under any obligations to help us. It's something we should all remember."

The two were silent for a moment, before the red and blue bot's grip tightened on Red Alert's servo.

"Shall we retire for the sol as well?"

The medic gave a small smile, and the two of them set off towards Optimus' quarters.

* * *

The door unlocked, and Rad bit his lip as Kero rapidly few back to the blond's bedroom as Rachel wheeled High Wire in. The mini-con transformed and gave a surprised Rad a hug, before just as abruptly breaking it off and scurrying towards the bedroom. "What was that about-" he got cut off when out of the blue Rachel hugged him tightly. The breath was knocked out of him, and her grip softened. Rad didn't know what brought this on, but he wrapped his arms around her too.

"I'm glad you're okay." she whispered. "Today was just one big mess after another."

"What happened?" Rad asked quietly, not wanting to set his cousin off.

Rachel pulled back, frowning. "First things first; no television for the week starting today."

Rad opened his mouth, but instantly shut it. He didn't like this one bit, but given that Rachel wasn't _grounding_ him, he could suck it up. He had bigger things to worry about, such as making sure that on Monday Billy and Fred really did believe Sleep had been a figment of their imaginations. "Okay."

"Now that we got that out of the way, do you want take-out for dinner?" The circles under Rachel's eyes only looked more pronounced even under the cover-up. "I'm a bit tired to cook."

"Pizza's fine." Rad replied. "I'm gonna go...do my homework then. You can tell me about what happened later."

Rachel nodded and sat down at the table, waving him off.

Rad made his way to his room, and saw another shocking scene. High Wire was _hugging_ Kero, though the guardian was struggling to get out his grasp.

"Rad!" he hissed quietly. "Your bucket of bolts has his screws loose!"

High Wire ignored the insult for once. _"Today was so weird! I combined with Sureshock and Grindor to fight Megatron, Rachel saved a hologram girl, and the girl mentioned a wizard called Clow Reed."_

Rad furrowed his brow, several things in High Wire's rambling worthy of comment, but the last one caught his interest. "Wizard, really? Kero, you know some things-does the name Clow Reed ring any bells?"

Kero stiffened, his head snapping towards Rad. The blond was surprised by the seriousness on his face. "What did you just say?" Even High Wire stopped talking, and let the guardian out of his grip without a fight.

"I-High Wire mentioned some hologram girl talked about him." Rad bit the inside of his cheek as Kero only looked grimmer. "Seriously, what's the deal with this guy? Did you know him?"

Kero sighed deeply. "Yes, I knew him." he looked into Rad's gaze. "Before the Sakura Cards became what they are...they were called the Clow Cards."

Rad gapped, and High Wire beeped in surprise. "W-what?" he sat down on the edge of his bed, his eyes glued to Kero, but then Rad's brows knitted together in confusion. "But you said you were made to watch over the cards or something," his eyes widened, "does...does that mean what I think it means?"

High Wire looked between them.

Kero crossed his arms. "Yes, Clow Reed created the cards...and me."

"This is...a lot to take in." Rad said quietly, shocked to his core. He'd wanted to know more about the previous Cardcaptor, but he hadn't thought beyond that. _Then again, it was pretty dumb of me-the cards had to have been created at some point, right?_ "Why didn't you tell me this?"

"You didn't ask." Kero said simply.

Rad glared at him. "I'm really beginning to hate that phrase."

High Wire tapped his chin. " _Wait, the ruins were centuries old, wouldn't this Clow Reed haven't even been created-er, born yet?"_ Rad glanced at the mini-con, and relayed the question.

"Clow was a powerful sorcerer, and to be honest there were things he didn't even tell _me!_ " Kero said, his posture indignant. "So he could've done something, but I'll need to talk to the girl." His expression fell morosely. "But we can't reveal ourselves, so _you'll_ have to wheedle it out of her!" he pointed dramatically at Rad, who jerked back.

"I think it'd be kind of weird to ask her about a wizard with nothing to go on." Rad grumbled. He shook his head. "Can we deal with this later? Right now I just want to enjoy the rest of the evening."

Kero slumped, but reluctantly nodded. "Yeah, you'd be no good to anyone tired." he missed Rad's glare as he settled into his drawer.

The blond glanced at his key, and leaned back onto his bed. It could wait, at least for a little while.


	18. Chapter 17: Glowing Teamwork

**Chapter 17: Glowing Teamwork**

 _(Alternative Title: The One With The Trust Issues)_

* * *

"Rad, hey, Rad!"

The blond groaned as he opened his eyes. Tiny hands shook his shoulder rapidly, and he peered out at the clock. "It's seven, on a _Saturday_ , what is it, Kero? It better be important."

"Look outside." Kero said, his expression serious.

That got Rad's attention, but before he could ask anything, he felt it. The warm glow inside of him, of being bright and lighting up and banishing the darkness. "Sakura Card." he whispered, and Kero nodded.

The boy climbed out of bed, High Wire watching him curiously from his spot on the end of the mattress. Rad opened the blinds on his window, and his jaw dropped, a gasp slipping out. All across the sky, Rad saw dozens of tiny lights floating around lazily. Because it was still early enough in the year, the sun was just beginning to rise that created an orange-pink contrast to the yellow lights.

"Whoa, what card is this?" Rad asked amazed.

"Glow." Kero replied. He patted Rad on the shoulder. "She's gentle, but I'm not gonna jinx you by saying she'd go quietly."

 _'You just did',_ Rad retorted silently, heaving a sigh as he found a change of clothes. He washed up in the bathroom and switched out his pajamas for a shirt and jeans, and retrieved his hoodie and key plus cards. He wasn't taking any chances. "Ready to go, High Wire?"

The small robot nodded. _"What about Rachel though? Won't she be wondering where you are?"_

Rad scratched his cheek. "Hmm, I guess I could write her a note." he nodded to himself and quickly scribbled something down in his notebook before ripping the page out. "Okay, now let's get going."

 _"Right!"_ High Wire beeped and followed after Rad.

They stopped briefly at the table where Rad put the note, and once again in making sure to lock the door behind them. The blond yawned on the elevator ride down, High Wire shifting anxiously in bike mode; neither knew what to expect from Glow, but held out hope this wouldn't turn into a mess.

Lock had pulled a fast one by taking over the door in detention the previous day, and before that Bubbles got the school day cancelled. Rad grimaced when he thought of Lock; he'd had to make up a ridiculous excuse as to why things had been flying around and convince Billy and Fred it had only been a dream.

Rad wasn't sure if they bought if, but he'd have to be more careful around them if a Sakura Card was near.

The elevator dinged, and Rad hopped on High Wire's seat before biking after the floating lights that all led into the forest. He passed by Kelly's house on the way out of town, and if just for a moment, he could have sworn the curtain in the upstairs bedroom moved. ' _Okay, Rad, now you're just getting paranoid.'_

Rad looked into the forest, and breathed in sharply when he could feel the warmth inside of him, something prodding at him. His eyes widened as he felt a curiosity that wasn't his own or High Wire's, but then he felt the mini-con's surprise and an echo from what Rad realized was Glow.

The Sakura Card's curiosity turned into surprise, but then it warmed again and seeped away. Rad let out of a shaky breath, and High Wire mirrored it.

 _"Is...is this how you always feel with them?"_

"Yeah," Rad said quietly, "but I just don't know what this means." Either good or bad, he couldn't be sure until he came face to face with Glow. He got off the seat, and let High Wire transform into bi-pedal model. "Though I think I might have to bring breakfast back just to make my story stick."

 _"If that's your way of lightening the mood, it isn't working."_ High Wire stated flatly.

Rad shrugged, and held out his key. "Key of the star, with powers burning bright; reveal the staff, and shine your light- _release_!" The golden circle appeared under him, and in a flash of light the key elongated into its staff form. Rad twirled the wand around his hand before gripping it tightly. "Let's find Glow."

High Wire nodded, and both of them ventured further through the dark forest, navigating around the trees and what light of the dawn could peak in. Rad shivered as a chill swept through the air, but slowly an outward warmth began to overcome him.

" _Look_!" High Wire pointed to the side, and Rad blinked when he saw a soft yellow light emmitting from the forest.

Rad readied himself. "Okay." he warily marched over, with High Wire following dutifully behind him. The closer he got to the light, he began to see that it was all the little balls of light which had converged into one area.

In the center, Rad could make out the tiny figure of a woman. She reminded him of a firefly and a ballerina with pointed elf ears in a way. She was wearing a black leotard with two tails of fabric arching over a large bulb of light, ballet flats on her feet with two white lights on it, a curl falling in the middle of her forehead with the rest of her hair kept back and another two balls of white light acting as buns. In her arms was a large, thin stock of what Rad almost mistook as a flower, since the leaves were hiding yet another orb, this time being orange in color.

Rad hesitantly stepped forward, and the tiny woman tilted her head. He gripped the wand, gulping. "Um, please don't hurt me."

Glow held her hand to her mouth, and her shoulders shook as though she were giggling. The lights arounded her all began to fade, until it was only her left. She tilted her head to the other side, as if waiting.

Rad bit his lip, and nodded. He held the tip of the wand out, another circle appearing under him. "Return to your power confine," the wingtips enlarged as a shell card appeared, a wind picking up around them, "Sakura Card!"

Glow began to dissolve, her form being sucked into the card, and when all was said and done, a newly sealed card floated over to Rad, who smiled in relief as he caught it.

 _"Can we go back now? This place is kinda creepy all of a sudden."_ High Wire said.

Rad chuckled as he put Glow into his pocket. "Yeah, we can go." he shrank his key back to travel size, but furrowed his brow as he heard a _whoosh-whoosh_ in the air. ' _That sounds like...a...helicopter_.' He frowned to himself; why would a helicopter be so far out in-

His eyes widened. "Oh no, we have to go! Right now!"

 _"What's wrong-_ " High Wire was cut off as overhead an unfortunately familiar blue and orange 'copter flew over, hovering as a cackle emitted from it.

"Well look what I found! I just came to scout a strange energy signature, but what do I find but a mini-con and an Autobot pet!" Cyclonus said. "Must be my lucky day!"

Rad glared. "Don't count on it! High Wire, let's go!" he grabbed the mini-con by the wrist and pulled him into the thick brush.

Cyclonus hovered closer to the ground, but shrieked in frustration when he couldn't go through it. "Get back here, you fleshbag!"

Rad didn't stop until the sound of propellers faded off, but as he looked around at the forest, he was under no illusions that both of them likely weren't going to make it back to town in time. He felt his pocket, and gritted his teeth. ' _I can't believe I didn't bring my phone_.' Yet he hadn't exactly predicted _this_ would happen after sealing Glow.

Glancing at High Wire, Rad could feel the mini-con's panic and very real fear of being captured. He tried to smile, but it felt forced. "Here's what we're gonna do; you'll hide here and I'll lead Cyclonus away."

 _"WHAT?!"_ If High Wire had eyes, his surely would have been bugged out from the force of incredulty over the link.

"Shhh!" Rad whispered harshly. "Look, I know you want to protect me, but now it's my turn to protect you." he held onto the mini-cons shoulder, staring at him with as much conviction as he could muster. "Let me do this, I promise things will be fine."

The sound of helicopter wings chopping through the air approached, and High Wire tensed before pulling Rad into a hug.

 _"You'd better keep that promise."_ he muttered before dashing into the opposite direction.

Rad smiled faintly, but his expression turned serious as he spun on his heel. He clenched his fists and ran into a small clearing through the trees. "Hey, you flying rustbucket!"

"What did you just call me?!" Cyclonus shouted, and the front sides of his 'copter mode split apart to reveal his arms. "Get over here!" he dove, hand outstretched, but Rad ducked in between two close trees and the bot's wrist was caught.

"Ha!" Rad mocked. "You'll have to do better than that!"

Cyclonus snarled in a more metallic sounding language, and if Rad had to guess, _this_ was what Cybertronian sounded like. Rad though didn't stick around to ask what was being said, but kept close enough to the treeline that the Decepticon could still see him.

Rad leaned against a tree, one hand on the bark as he used the other to reach into his pocket and pulled out his key. He gritted his teeth. _'If I have to use this, the Decepticons will know what I can do.'_

A sharp metallic screech rang out, and all Rad saw was a orange and black hand reaching for him before he found himself being lifted into the air. The situation hit him like a freight train. "No, no-NO!" Rad struggled in Cyclonus' grasp as the copter began flying away, his cackles ringing in Rad's ears.

"Wait until Megatron hears about this! We'll have those Autobot mini-cons in no time!"

Rad's stomach dropped, but what made his hope grumble was the glint of a pink and bronze key lying on the grass...slowly growing fainter the further away he got. _'No,'_ he shut his eyes, _'how could I have been so stupid?'_

* * *

Rachel frowned as she found Rad's note, only saying he was taking High Wire to get breakfast for them. She was torn between annoyance that he didn't _actually_ tell her, and somewhat proud he left a note at all. _'He's probably only doing this so I'll take off the ban on the T.V., but it's still nice.'_

With little else to do, Rachel set about tidying up the living room. She thought of how the Autobots said they'd help the girl, but that for now to keep the disk with her. Rad thought her tale was cool, especially the whole Perceptor thing...but Rachel was beginning to think Rad just didn't get it at all.

Alexis might have, but Carlos and Rad didn't. Didn't...didn't they see this wasn't just some fun adventure? Rachel went through each outing with a mounting terror in her heart, nightmares in mind, and having to deal with children that thought everything was sunshine and rainbows all the time.

 _'I guess I can't blame them for trying to make the best of this,'_ the blonde admittedly reluctantly, _'I certainly wouldn't want them to be as jaded as I am._ ' She knew what the world was like, and why she got so pissed when Smokescreen dared to say he didn't know why she got angry at him.

The thought _still_ made her mad, and Rachel picked up a bowl while gritting her teeth. _'Does he really think pretending it didn't happen will make it go away?'_ Her tirade was cut short when she realized what she was doing.

Frowning, Rachel set down the box of cereal and stared at the empty bowl, and slowly her eyes widened as she looked up at the clock. It was nine-Rad had been gone way too long.

Breathing calmly, Rachel phoned each diner in town, and with each dismissal that Rad hadn't been around, the lump in the blonde's throat grew. She hesitated when she dialed the number to the bed and breakfast, but carried on. "Mrs. Ottman? Rachel Becker, has Rad been by?"

 _"Rad? No, he hasn't."_ The woman replied, and her tone became apologetic. _"And I'm so sorry we had to let you go, but business had been picking up in preparation for summer and we just couldn't wait for you to come back."_

Rachel smiled stiltedly, even though no one could see it. "It's fine, I understand, thank you anyway." she ended the call and her smile was wiped clean off. Gritting her teeth, Rachel's fingers clenched around the phone, but she forced herself to breath deeply once more.

 _'You can't dwell on that, keep calling.'_ she thought to herself, but when she tried Alexis and Carlos to only discover they hadn't heard from Rad either, did Rachel begin to panic. She ran one hand over her hair, eyes staring down at the phone.

 _Rad held tight, a metallic hand crushing him-_

Rachel shook her head. No, that was just a nightmare, a product of her fear towards the Decepticons...but High Wire was with Rad, and the mini-con would protect Rad from anything... _'It's a stretch, a ridiculous gut feeling.'_ Still, she dialed the code to the Autobot base anyway.

 _"Who is this?"_ A voice that grated on Rachel's nerves asked, tone suspicious.

"Rachel." The blonde hissed. "I have the number for the base."

 _"Oh!"_ Smokescreen's entire attitude shifted, his tone turning jovial. _"What do ya need then?"_

Rachel pursed her lips, but couldn't put off asking. Rad was too important. "Where are the other Autobots? I think Rad and High Wire might have been captured by the Decepticons." She wasn't sure about High Wire, as he hadn't been in the dream, but it was better not to leave him out.

 _"What? Hold on."_ The line went silent, and when it picked up, Hot Shot's worried voice came over the line.

 _"Optimus and Red are out scouting for parts to help that girl, and I can't get in contact with them, they must be out of range."_ he explained. " _Are you sure about Rad though?"_

"No, but he's been gone for hours and High Wire would keep him safe to the best of his abilities." Rachel replied. "I'd rather not take any chances."

 _"Good call. I'll come pick you up, and then we'll work on finding them together!"_ Hot Shot said fiercely.

"Right." Rachel didn't mind so much when the line was cut off, and rushed out the apartment, locking the door behind her. She shoved her cell phone into her pocket, and stepped out onto the porch, her eyes darting around the street for any sign of a yellow and blue car.

Instead, she saw a yellow and purple motorcyle across the road. The rider was nonchalantly sitting on it, and Rachel's temper flared. _'It's the jackass that almost ran me over-_ twice.' she stormed down the patio, fists clenched. "Hey-!" A crash cut her off, and she whirled around to see a vehicle mode High Wire had slammed into the dumpster beside the apartment.

Forgetting the rider for now, Rachel hurried over to the mini-con and pulled him behind the dumpster and out of sight to let him transform. "What happened, where's Rad-" a pink and bronze glint drew Rachel's eye to the key around High Wire's neck-"and why do you have that?"

High Wire began shaking, and he threw his arms around Rachel. Static mingled with the beeps, and if Rachel thought robots could sob, this would be it. _"Rad-Rad wanted to protect me. Cy-Cyclonus showed up, and Rad led him away, but not before getting caaaptuuured! It's all my fault!"_

Rachel hugged High Wire back. She was upset, she _wanted_ to be upset with him and Rad, but raging at Cyclonus would do. "It's okay, we'll get Rad back. I got worried about why neither of you came back, and told the Autobots. Let's head over there before Hot Shot comes all this way for nothing, alright?" Keeping her voice soothing, she rubbed the mini-con on the back of the head.

Slowly, High Wire's sobs trailed off, and he pulled back to nod. _"Alright."_ he whispered, and transformed to let Rachel get onto the bicycle seat.

Rachel's hands tightened on the bars. _'I'll deal with the jackass another day-hold on, Rad, we'll save you.'_

She couldn't let her nightmare come true. She just _couldn't._

* * *

Rad yelped as he was dropped onto a pile of hay, groaning as he heard the roof being put back down. He glared at the ceiling, eyes narrowed when he heard what Megatron had planned. It wasn't exactly creative, but he was worried the Autobots would go through with it.

Rolling off, Rad was in for another shock. He scrambled to his feet when he saw three mini-cons there. And it didn't take much for him to remember that they were Decepticon-allied. The blond tensed, but felt helpless even though he was taller than them by several inches. _'No key, no phone, no use.'_

The white and gray one crossed their arms, and Rad jolted when he could feel the sterness coming from it. ' _That's right, this includes_ all _mini-cons._ ' he thought, and breathed in deep before smiling shakily. "Um, hey there."

The multi-colored one warbled something, which Rad was relieved and annoyed by. The former because it still translated into words, and the latter because of what was _said._ " _Why's the human talking to us? Doesn't it know we can't talk to it?"_

"I'm a 'he', not it." Rad snapped. "If you want to insult me at least stick with 'human.'"

The multi-colored one jerked back, surprise radiating from all three. _"You can understand us? How can this be? Only our bulks should be able too."_

Rad rubbed his brow. "Look, I don't know all the details, but apparently it's because I activated...the first mini-con on earth, and some side-effect is letting me understand you all." That didn't explain the emotions thing though. "It's just very complicated."

The blue one began shaking, but Rad felt excitement instead of agitation. " _This is so cool! Not as cool as explosions but still!"_

Rad furrowed his brow, and the multi-colored one sighed heavily. _"Stop using that word for everything, Crumplezone. Explosions are only okay with you and Cyclonus...and maybe Megatron."_

The white one snapped his head the other one, indignation flaring. _"Don't compare Lord Megatron to **those two.**_ " Crumplezone warbled in offence.

Rad though frowned. "Why do you call him 'Lord Megatron?' Is it because of the servility programming?" he stiffened when the three mini-cons looked at him as though they forgot he was there.

The white one stepped forward. _"That programming will only do so much. I call him that because I respect him."_

Rad blinked. "Why? The Decepticons want to enslave all of you!"

Crumplezone tilted his head. _"Things aren't so bad. We at least have it better than Grid."_

The multi-colored one nodded. _"Starscream won't even use his real name. No wonder Grid keeps trying to run away from him."_

 _"And while the ultimate result-should the Deceptions ever do win-will not be pleasant for us, I simply can't find it in myself to betray Lord Megatron in a way thay goes beyond programming."_ The white one said. " _On Cybertron he was my partner, and here he is as well. We've been together for centuries-and while I concede the notion of not fighting anymore pleasing-he's told me things and treated me better than any bulk before him."_

Rad absorbed what had been said, the tone and the fondness. He remembered his own feelings when having to make the hard choice with Dash. "You think of him as your friend." he said softly. "I can understand that, but sometimes being a good friend means doing something they won't like. You left once, because you thought it would stop the fighting, didn't you?"

The white one hesitated. _"I did, but it hasn't worked. And now all there is **more** fighting."_

Rad sighed. "I guess we're not gonna agree on this then." he patted the ground under him before sitting down, feeling the confusion as the mini-cons looked on. Rad smiled, managing a genuine one. "Still, it doesn't mean we need to be enemies. My name's Rad, what's yours?"

The white one's confusion cycled through incredulty, then bemusement. _"Leader-1._ "

* * *

Rachel squinted as she saw a yellow car driving down the mountain trail, and turned High Wire to get in Hot Shot's way. The bot screeched to a halt, and she got off High Wire to let the mini-con transform into bi-pedal mode. "It's just Rad, High Wire found me after I called you."

Hot Shot opened his doors. "Then get in and we can regroup at the base."

Rachel nodded and both she and High Wire climbed into the bot's cabin. "Still got radio silence from Optimus and Red Alert?"

Hot Shot did a U-turn and drove back up the mountain before he replied. "Yeah, so we're on our own. High Wire, what happened out there?"

"He told me that Rad led Cyclonus away after the Decepticon found them. Rad," Rachel squeezed her eyes shut, "he got captured."

Hot Shot was silent for a moment. "They'll want the mini-cons...it's what they always want."

High Wire beeped sadly, head lowering guiltily. Rachel held his shoulder comfortingly, and patted his back when they reached the base. She gritted her teeth when Smokescreen came out out the cave.

"Hot Shot, I'm so glad I caught you before you left-!" he stopped when the blonde and mini-con got out of the car. "Well, you drive fast, that's for sure."

The yellow robot transformed, and sighed. "They met me on the way down." his expression turned seriously. "Now, what's got you so worked up?"

"Megatron just sent us a message!"

Hot Shot and Rachel's eyes widened. "WHAT?!" They shouted.

Smokscreen nodded rapidly. "They sent it across a Cybertronian code, though I made sure that humans couldn't pick it up after I got it."

"At least you did something right." Rachel muttered.

Smokescreen frowned at her, but looked back at Hot Shot. "You'd better take a look at it."

The yellow bot nodded and the group hurried to the command center. He brought up the message, and Rachel glared at Megatron's image on the screen, hating him even more when he smirked.

"If you're not seeing this, Autobots, then you're pet's life is forfeit. If you are, you will bring your mini-cons to these co-ordinates in one cycle."

The image faded, and longitude and latitude numbers replaced it.

Hot Shot gripped his head. "We could really use Optimus, he'd know how to handle this."

"You're doing fine." Rachel said, but frowned as Smokescreen put in the co-ordinates. "What are you doing?" she demanded.

"Finding where your cousin is." Smokescreen retorted, and on the screen a map appeared, and the sky spy located a bunch of old buildings and milling around the ghost town were the Decepticons. "Now we just need a plan."

"To do what?" Rachel asked harshly. "Give in and hand over the mini-cons?"

"Why are you on my case? You've been doing that since I got here, what's your problem?" Smokescreen questioned.

Rachel's fists clenched, her temper finally having reached it's peak. "You tried to kill the kids!"

Silence reigned for a moment, and Hot Shot awkwardly gestured for High Wire to follow him. "Come on, let's go find Jolt and make a plan of attack. These two have something to get off their chest."

Smokescreen waited until the bot and mini-con left before sighing deeply, his shoulders slumping. "I thought we got passed that; I saved you."

Rachel crossed her arms. "My life is lesser compared to those kids. I've known them since they were small-of course I'd give my life for them." she frowned and glared at him. "When you came after us, I saw how scared they were, how we thought you were a Decepticon-and then you act as though what you did doesn't matter!"

Smokescreen flinched, a deep-seated look of concentration coming onto his face. Then, he looked away. "I wasn't thinking, it's not an excuse, but that's what happened." he replied. "I was stuck underground, not knowing where I was and couldn't contact the others...I began to loose myself." his fist clenched, and he when he looked at Rachel, there an expression of remorse and guilt on his features. "I'm sorry for what I did, but the kids acted like things were fine after a little while-and-and I thought that was just _it_." his jaw clenched. "I guess that's not true though, is it?" his shoulders slumped. "Are they still afraid of me?"

Rachel breathed in deeply, her posture tense. "I honestly don't know, but you should be apologizing to them, not me."

"Are things alright then? Or are you still gonna give me dirty looks when you think I don't notice?" Smokescreen asked.

Rachel flushed at having been caught. It had felt childish to let things boil over to this point, and now she was called on it. "I...no, I won't. If I have a problem with you, I'll say it to your face." she let her arms drop to her side. "Getting over distrust isn't easy, but I'm willing to try."

"Yeah, and I probably should have had a psych eval with Red when I got here, but I just keep putting it off." Smokescreen admitted. He knelt down, and held out a finger. "For now, let's just have a truce, sound good?"

Rachel stared at the appendage, narrowing her eyes as she hesitated, but in the end she reached out and clasp her fingers on it. "Truce."

Footsteps rang, and Hot Shot blinked when he stepped in. He looked between Smokescreen and Rachel, but instead of commenting, he said, "Jolt and I came up with a plan. We all gotta work together though," he smirked, as though challenging them, "think you can handle that?"

Rachel raised a brow, but when she caught Smokescreen's eye, she let herself smile slightly. "Yeah, I think we can."

* * *

Rad didn't know how it came to this, but he was _sooo_ not gonna lose. "Tag!" he lunged for Blackout, but multi-colored mini-con ducked to the side and Rad plunged into the dirt. He grimaced, though it turned into a glare when he heard Blackout and Crumplezone laughing. Leader-1 was more reserved, but amusement still flared from him. "That's it, I'm gonna get you!"

 _"You'll have to try harder than that!"_ Crumplezone shouted, side-stepping Rad as the blond jumped for him.

"Come on, I've been it for the past thirty minutes! At least let me have a pity tag." Rad pleaded.

Leader-1 was unmoved. _"You roped us into this, it's not our fault you're so slow."_

Rad huffed. "I don't even get how you can be so quick when you're made of metal."

Crumplezone rubbed his 'chin'. _"That's a very good question."_

Blackout looked at the blue mini-con, but while he was distracted Rad took the moment to sneak up on him. Without missing a beat, Blackout ducked and Rad fell onto the dirt once more.

The blond glowered at him. "How could you even see me?" he got to his feet, but stiffened when he heard the footsteps outside-and then the roof came off.

Scowling down at him, Megatron glared. "It's time, fleshing."

Rad's eyes widened, and he backed up when the large hand reached for him. His heel got caught in a hole, and he landed on his backside. "No, no, no." he panicked and scrambled back, turning to run before fingers wrapped around him and pinned his arms to his side. "No, let me go!" he looked at the mini-cons pleadingly. "Help me, please!"

The three mini-cons looked up at him, but while each of them felt sad and guilty, they were resigned. They didn't move.

Rad shut his eyes and gritted his teeth. ' _Decepticon mini-cons.'_ he reminded himself, but it was still a bitter pill to swallow.

Megatron laughed deeply in his ears. "You think they'll understand you? What a simple creature you are."

Rad gritted his teeth. He wanted to snap back they _did_ , but kept his mouth shut about it. Didn't mean he was going to be a perfect little captive. "So says that bot that lets a psycho run wild."

"Hey!" Cyclonus snarled as he and the other Decepticons rallied back into a group. "I got _you_ , didn't I?"

"And yet he had a mini-con you didn't grab instead." Starscream muttered. Cyclonus turned and glared at him, but Megatron cut him off.

"That's enough!" he snapped, a whimper escaping Rad as he felt the fingers tighten minutely around him, and gasped when they loosened. "The Autobots will be arriving soon, and we will not let them see any weakness." he glanced down at Rad. "We finally have an advantage over them."

Rad glared back at him, but his ribs ached. He looked up when a warping sound rang out, and Hot Shot appeared with Jolt, High Wire, Longarm and Sparkplug.

Megatron frowned. "What, no Prime?"

The yellow bot scowled at him. "No, Optimus and Red are out together. They've got radio silence."

Rad furrowed his brow when Megatron snarled. "Surround him!" he ordered, and the three Decepticons stood at different points around Hot Shot, blasters aimed at him.

Hot Shot looked sadly down at the mini-cons. "I'm sorry."

Rad opened his mouth to protest, but stopped as the mini-cons didn't feel right. They...they didn't seem angry or upset, they felt...smug.

Hot Shot crossed his arms as the mini-cons stood in front of Megatron. "Deal's a deal."

Megatron narrowed his eyes as he looked over the little bots. "No." he said flatly. Rad jolted. "He's your weakness, that is not something to squander."

Hot Shot gritted his teeth, and tensed up. "In that case...now!" he whirled around and tackled both Demolishor and Starscream, catching the two robots off guard as they crashed to the ground.

A rock flew through the air, and it clinked against Cyclonus' head. The helicopter whirled around, and Rad's eyes widened as Rachel tossed a rock in the air. "You really shouldn't have done that!"

Rachel smirked. "Let's see you do something about it then."

Cyclonus screeched and levelled his blaster at her. He fired and she rolled to the side, reeling her arm back and nailed the bot in the eye. He snarled and chased after her.

"What is this?!" Megatron demanded, but roared when the mini-cons warped out. He pulled Rad up to his face, expression twisted hatefully. "This will teach those fools to doublecross me!"

Rad screamed as fingers dug into him, and he feared something was about to break-

 _Shing!_ Megatron howled furiously, and Rad saw a hook having smacked him in the face, and from the corner of Rad's eye, a blue and orange form ran up. A leg kicked the arm, and fingers loosened to the point where Rad went flying into the air.

"I've got you!" Smokescreen's voice was like a lifeline, and hands wrapped more gently around him. "He's safe, let's get out of here!"

Rad looked through blurry optics as Hot Shot warped out, and he spotted Rachel running up to them, jumping just as Cyclonus fired at her. Smokescreen caught her as he warped, and Rad felt the sick to your stomach feel inside as they passed through the colorful gate. When the world stopped spinning, the blond was vaguely aware of a voice in his ear, and worried beeping.

When the world was righted, Rad saw Rachel and High Wire leaning over him. He smiled relieved. "You saved me." he whispered.

Rachel sighed and hugged him. "No, thank Hot Shot, he came up with the plan-I just helped."

Rad blinked and stared past them at Hot Shot, who rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. The blond smiled at him. "Thank you, it means so much you'd do that for me."

The yellow bot frowned. "Why wouldn't I have? You're my friend." he shook his head. "We'd better have Red take a look at you when he and Optimus get back."

Rad opened his mouth to protest, but one stern glare from Rachel kept it back. He ducked his head. "Okay."

High Wire grabbed the blond's hand, and he glanced down as the key was pressed into his palm. _"I'm so happy you're safe."_

Rad closed his fist over the key, and placed his other hand over High Wire's. "Nothing could have kept me from keeping my promise."

"And you," Rad cringed, but his eyes widened when he saw that Rachel was adressing Smokescreen instead, and she smiled slightly at him, "good job."

The orange bot grinned back. "I told you I'd save him, thanks for trusting me."

Rachel breathed in deep, and her smile widened. "Thanks for giving me a reason to trust you." she rubbed her arm, glancing around with an unusually embarrassed look on her face. "I don't want to start picking out curtains with you, but how about a project I'm working on?"

Smokescreen nodded. "What'd you have in mind?"

"Well, I've been putting something off myself." Rachel coughed awkwardly. "I need a crane to parade my totalled 'car' through town, and well..."

Rad furrowed his brow. "I," he looked up at Hot Shot who gazed at the scene in approval, "have no idea what's going on with them."

The yellow bot crossed his arms, but sent Rad a thumbs up. "Just know that Ray and Smokey have put aside their differences."

Rad raised a brow, but felt himself smile as he looked back on the scene too. _'Yeah, this isn't such a bad day after all.'_


	19. Chapter 18: Shadowbox

**Chapter 18: Shadowbox**

( _Alternative Title: The Other Sword, And A New Face Appears)_

* * *

Rad glanced up at Rachel as she talked to her mother on the phone. He couldn't hear much, but from the grimace on the blonde's face, he could guess it was about her 'wrecked' car. He still didn't believe Rachel had been able to work with Smokescreen so fast, but it showed she was trying.

And she looked less haggard, which made him immensely happy.

Rachel blew her bangs out of her face as she came back from the hall, stowing her cell into her pocket. "That was close, almost thought I was going to let something slip." she ruffled Rad's hair before putting on her jacket. "So, the science carnival's still going on if you want to go."

Rad finished off his cereal, and shook his head. "Nah, I wanna go see how that girl you brought back is doing." He'd been dropped off at the apartment to rest after Red Alert discharged him, but saw Rachel picking up the disk with the ancient girl on it.

Rachel's smile turned sharp, and Rad stiffened. "I misspoke; you are _going_ to the fair. You've had a hard day yesterday and I think you need some human interaction." she glanced at High Wire, who was sitting beside Rad and watching him carefully. "Right?"

The mini-con nodded. _"Yes, Rad should have a nice day out."_

Rad glowered at them. High Wire had barely left his side all day on Saturday, so he felt duped because both the mini-con and Rachel were in one mind on this. "Fine." he muttered. "At least I'll have High Wire with me."

"Yeah, no." Rachel crossed her arms. "He's coming with me after we drop you off at the fair. High Wire can't exactly go running around."

Rad leaned forward. "We could pretend he's a really advanced earth robot." Rachel glared at him, and the blond ducked his head. "Nevermind." Well, _maybe_ being by himself could be fun. "I'll go get my hoodie."

When he reached his room, Rad saw Kero staring out the window. "Hey, what are you doing?"

Kero frowned as he looked at him, but blinked. "Hmm? Oh, nothing." he tilted his head. "Where are you going?"

Rad pulled on his hoodie. "To the science carnival. It's been going on all weekend and Rachel wants me to have fun."

Kero raised a brow as the blond pulled his key and the Sakura Cards out of the drawer. "And you think you'll need them?"

Rad snorted. "Those cards show up in the craziest places-I'd rather keep them on hand than not at all."

"Yeah..." Kero trailed off, and floated over to Rad, expression serious. "Let me go with you."

Rad blinked, frowning as he glanced at the door. "Why?"

Kero crossed his arms. "You really have to ask?" he gestured to the open room. "I'm stuck inside all day every day. How am I suppose to help you if I don't get some fresh air?"

"I thought you got your energy from the sun?" Rad questioned, but Kero's eyes widened and he clasped his stubby hands together, lip jutting out and he whimpered. The blond sighed. He _supposed_ it wasn't fair, they were friends after all. "Fine, you can come with me-High Wire won't be there for you to try and argue with."

Kero grinned and curled into Rad's hoodie. "So sad, too bad." he sang.

Rad rolled his eyes and walked back out into the foyer where Rachel held the door open, key in hand. "Okay, I get it, I'm going."

Rachel shook her head as she locked the door behind them. Rad shoved his hands in his pockets while his cousin wheeled High Wire to the elevator. She hadn't noticed Kero, so that was good. "Be sure to text me when you get there."

Rad nodded as the elevator made it's way down the floors. "If it even goes through." he caught the glare Rachel sent him and amended his statement. "Yeah, I got it."

Rachel reached out to pet his hair. "Don't look so mad please, there's nothing wrong with having fun."

Rad pouted, but didn't object when Rachel reached into her pocket and gave him a handful of five dollar bills. "Why are _you_ going to the Autobot base though?"

"Because if Alexis and Carlos are there I'm not letting them run around unsupervised." Rachel said dryly.

Snickering, Rad conceded to her point. "Good point." When they got outside, Rad waved Rachel off and made his way down the opposite sidewalk. "Try not to be noticed, okay?"

"You're the one talking to yourself." Kero retorted, snorting as he laid on Rad's shoulder like a regular plush doll.

Rad scrunched his nose, but smirked as he poked Kero on the forehead. "Smart aleck." Kero batted his finger away, but immediately went still, falling limply against his shoulder. Rad frowned, and heard the quiet engine in front of him. He adjusted his key around his neck, and saw at the corner was a yellow and purple motorcyle with a rider dressed completely in black. "That's a really cool bike you got there."

The rider glanced at him, visor so dark he couldn't see the eyes except for the lens flare. The hands tightened on the handlebars, and without a word the motorbike took off, tires squeeling.

Rad frowned as dust was kicked, coughing, but yelped as Kero reached up to whack him on the forehead this time. "What was that for?"

Kero glowered at him. "Stranger danger, don't they teach you kids that anymore?"

"Of course they do." Rad said offended. "I made sure to keep out of reach, didn't I?"

"That's not funny." Kero said flatly.

Rad sighed. "Yeah, saying anything was pretty stupid." he ran a hand through his hair, and kept going on his way.

"So what do Americans do for fun at these fairs?" Kero asked curiously.

"You're kidding; did you spend all your time here in a book?" Rad asked incredulously.

Kero scowled at him. "Things were going on, and then I was spending all my time keeping a bunch of angry cards back."

Rad winced. "Sorry for bringing it up." he coughed into his hand. "The science fair is where all the latest tech is showcased, and there's all sorts of carnival games where you win prizes."

Kero rubbed his chin. "Sounds like the festivals back in Japan, artificially at least. I'll need to see these games to know for sure-so you'd better not suck at it."

Rad glared at him, huffing indignantly. "Well it's not like you'll be able to do it. I can pass High Wire off as being an advanced robot, but you? What am I supposed to say? You're just an advaced child's plush toy?"

Kero growled and reached up to pull on Rad's hair, causing the blond to cringe. "Don't call me that!"

Rad pinched Kero's cheek harsly. "Let go!" he hissed, but his eyes widened as he noticed a familiar man with dark hair walking around the other street. "Marty!" he whispered. Kero immediately went limp and Rad hurried to catch up with the older boy. "Hey!"

Marty blinked, but smiled when he saw Rad. He adjusted the bag of groceries in his arms. "Hello, Rad. Decided to get some exercise?"

Rad blushed, self-conscious patting his stomach. _'What's that supposed to mean?'_ Why did he feel so flustered around him? "Kinda. Ray wanted me to walk to the science fair. You?"

"Just getting some groceries." Marty shrugged. "Stocking up for when we leave for the exam."

Rad's eye twitched at the reminder, and knowing that the day was getting closer made him antsy. "Uh-huh. You thinking of going to the fair?"

"Maybe later, but science isn't really my thing." Marty replied.

Rad smirked. "Then what do you call paleontology then?"

"Cool." Marty replied teasingly.

Rad flushed deeply. "Y-yeah." he whispered. He straightened up. "Well, I'll see you later-or maybe not, you know, if you decide to go."

Marty nodded. "Later."

Rad's flush spread to his hairline, and stammered out a goodbye again. He sprinted, groaning as he couldn't believe he acted like that. He scowled as he heard Kero snickering at him. Thankfully the carnival music and cheers, machinery from rides whirling faintly, hit his ears.

He was almost there, and dang it, he was going to have fun.

* * *

Rachel stepped off High Wire as they arrived at the Autobot's base, and when they arrived in the comman center, she put her hands on her hips. "I made a joke with Rad you'd be here, but I didn't know I'd turn out to be right."

Carlos flushed, redness faintly standing out against his skin. He glanced at what everyone else was staring at, the blush deepening. "Well, Grindor said you'd brought her here yesterday."

Alexis crossed her arms. "And that Rad was in danger."

"Hey," Hot Shot said defensively, "me, Smokescreen and Rachel did a pretty good job of saving him."

"Yes, way to stay calm under pressure." Optimus said, clapping Hot Shot on the shoulder.

The yellow bot preened. "Thank you, sir!"

"I would be more reserved, Optimus-Hot Shot could get a big helm. Bigger, I mean." Red Alert said dryly. Rachel was surprised to hear his tone was more amused than it had been before.

Hot Shot heard it too, and grinned at him. "Another joke? I must be rubbing off on you." Smokescreen snickered, and Red Alert crossed his arms, lips pressed severely together.

Rachel saw the green-haired girl staring at nothing, a distant look in her eyes as she seemed to tune everything out. She wondered what was going through her head-did she have thoughts of her own, what was her capacity? "What do you think of the future?"

The girl blinked slowly as she looked over at Rachel. Her face was as impassive as ever. "It's certainly different. I will admit the Autobots so far _appear_ better in comparison to the Decepticons. Though I have yet to go through all their files yet, so that judgement will be reserved until later."

Rachel stiffened, her eyes glancing up at the Autobots. "Um, should you really be insulting them? You know, _right in front them_ after they set up your disk to their systems?"

"Trust must be earned," Optimus said calmly, "she has no reason other than your word. We wish for her to make her own decisions about us."

"I am grateful you are letting me keep an eye on the Star Saber components." The green-haired girl said. Rachel, Carlos and Alexis all flinched when abruptly the blank screen showed a room with two panels in it. "I will not fail this time."

"What just happened?" Alexis questioned.

"When I set up a seperate system for her," Red Alert explained, "I integrated coding from her disk to mingle with our bases controls."

"So, she can manipulate the bases's systems?" Alexis asked worriedly.

Sensing where this was going, Optimus said, "It's all about trust."

"But how was her disk comptible at all?" Rachel had assumed the Autobot's would just give the girl a computer to live on, but they went all out-although, she _did_ have valuable information. Cynical to think, but no one but the kids probably considered it.

"I discovered that her disk was made from reverse engineered Cybertronian technology." Red Alert explained, and nodded to the girl, "and she told us that her people had found machinery from the crashed mini-con vessel along with the three components of the Star Saber."

"You keep mentioning that, but what it is?" Carlos asked scratching his cheek.

Alexis sighed heavily. "Obviously it's a sword, it's got the word 'saber' in it."

Carlos glared back at her. "I know that! I wanted to know what it did!"

"It was rumored to be the most powerful sword in the universe." Smokescreen started. "I never saw it in action, but before the mini-con exodus, it was so strong it could cut through anything."

"Almost anything." The girl whispered, her tone absent and she looked surprised-as though she just realized what she said.

Rachel furrowed her brow, but before she could follow it up with anything, an alarm blared-harsher and with short, rapid beeps than the regular siren. "Did you upgrade your mini-con alert system?"

Optimus' frame tensed, and the other Autobots all looked grim. "It's not the mini-con alert, it's the perimeter alarm." he looked at the girl. "Could you bring up the footage from the sky spy?"

The girl nodded, her brow furrowing in concentration. The screen shifted from the panels to a map of the surrounding area. A blip grew closer to the base, and the image zoomed in, causing Rachel to scowl at the screen. Cyclonus was flying around, but the girl let out a soft gasp.

"It's the final panel to the Star Saber." she whispered, her eyes locked on the small blue and white form inside the Decepticon's cockpit.

Optimus looked down at her. "Are you certain?" he sighed when the girl nodded. "Rachel, take the children to a secure room; I will not send you home until we are sure the Decepticons have not found the base."

"Aw man, we can't watch you kick Decepticon butt?" Carlos asked, but Grindo beeped and pulled him along with him.

Sureshock warbled, and Alexis threw her arms up. "I'm going, no need to think I'm like Carlos." she said, and the boy glared at her.

Rachel rubbed her brow, and followed after the kids and High Wire trailed alongside her. She glanced over her shoulder and saw the Autobots making their way to the base, and for the first time since she'd been there, the door closed after them. _'It's so weird to see it being used.'_ she thought, but shook her head as her group was taken to a familiar room. "Nostalgia getting to you?" she glanced between Sureshock and Grindor. "This is where you both were stored in."

 _"It's something alright."_ High Wire said, crossing his arms.

The door slid shut, and the girl appeared in on a screen over the wall where Sureshock and Grindor had first been in. "I hope this is not inconvenient to you all," her faced turned stern, "but you should really think of your own self-preservation."

"What?" Carlos asked.

Alexis' cheeks puffed out. "She said it wasn't smart to get involved in a robot war."

"Take that back!" Carlos snapped.

A high-pitched scream cut through the air, and all the humans jumped as the girl clutched her head. She fell to her knees and doubled over; Carlos ran up to her, momentarily forgetting he couldn't touch her as his arms went right through her. He jerked back when the girl's form fritzed, going in and out of focus like static on the television. A loud, ominious _click_ followed it.

"What's going on?!" Carlos demanded, and knelt down in front of the girl. "Are you okay?"

"It is illogical for me to feel pain." The girl said, but her heavy 'breathing' belied the strain in her systems.

"That's not what we're seeing right now." Alexis' harsh edged softened. "You're hurt, what happened?"

The girl winced, and she got unsteadily back to her feet, her hologram becoming clear again. It did little to shake the terror behind her next words. "The Decepticons are in the base."

Every human and mini-con had the same horrified reaction, which echoed tenfold in the room. _"WHAT?!_ "

* * *

Rad looked around with wide eyes, breathing in deep, and inhaled the scent of kettle corn, popcorn, and sizzling hambugers and hotdogs. He flushed as his stomach growled, but raised a brow when Kero's did as well.

The guardian did a small shrug. "Don't judge me."

"Wasn't gonna say anything." Rad replied quietly. The sights invaded his senses; parents pulled their children along with him, while other kids were getting balloons from people in animal costumes. "What to do first..."

The blond frowned as he noticed a motorbike by the edge of the fair, leaning on a kick stand. It was the same yellow and purple motorcycle from earlier, the completely covered rider leaning against the tree next to it, arms crossed as the driver looked out over the fair.

As if noticing they were being stared at, the rider turned their head straight at Rad, eyes locked with the visor.

Rad felt a sharp pinch at the back of his neck, and he broke contact and turned away, shielding Kero from sight. "What was that for?" he hissed softly.

"Quit staring, it's creepy." Kero retorted.

"Tell that to him." Rad jerked his head up, but his eyes widened when he noticed the rider and motorcyle was gone. "That was quick."

"No doubt you scared him off." Kero said snidely.

Rad scowled down at him, and from the corner of his eye saw a ring toss game. "I'll deal with you later, I'm gonna win me a key chain." he tugged the string his key was on. "Need something better to hold this."

"Yeah, I keep worrying it's gonna break and you won't notice." Kero shook his head. "And then we're would we be? How sad-a Cardcaptor defeated by their own cluelessness."

Rad flicked Kero on the forehead, and huffed as he marched over to the booth. Kero quickly kicked his shoulder before ducking back into the hoodie before the vendor noticed him. "How much?"

"Three dollars for three rings." The man replied.

Rad nodded and handed over a five, getting two dollars back and three rings. He shoved the coins into his pocket, but froze as he felt an odd sensation fall over him. He felt weird, as though something was following him, something which had always been there-since the day he was born there.

"Hey kid, you okay?"

Rad blinked, realizing he'd been staring around aimlessly. "Y-yeah." he said and absently tossed the first ring. It clinked off the top bottle, and Rad scowled. He aimed for a lower bottle, but that just wobbled the bottle. _'Last one, gotta make it count.'_ he aimed for the top one once more, and carefully tossed it.

The ring circled around the tip of the bottle, but for a moment the ring's shadow didn't move with it. Like lightning, the bottle was flung at Rad, causing him to jerk back as the plastic hit the counter in front of him.

"Whoa there!" The vendor picked the bottle up. "You got some force behind those throws."

"Y-yeah." Rad stammered, glancing at the space where the bottle had been. There was nothing out of the ordinary anymore-his first thought was to dismiss it, but that bottle had just been-well, _thrown_ at him. "I'll try again after."

"Enjoy the rest of the fair." The vendor called after him.

"Kero," Rad said softy, "did you feel that?"

"How could I not?" Kero laid against his shoulder. "Be on your guard, this is one that _definitely_ shouldn't be active during the day."

That alone made Rad uneasy. "Which is?"

"Shadow, and given he just tried to clock you with a bottle, he's not happy."

Rad sighed. Glow had been nice and gentle-figures it wouldn't last.

* * *

"Oh man, this can't he happening, it can't be!" Carlos gripped his hair, fear written across his face.

Alexis didn't look much better, shaking and curled into herself. "It was a bad idea to come here." she whispered.

Rachel saw even the mini-cons were affected, huddled together and warily watching the door like they expected the Decepticons to come barging in. She wouldn't deny that with a clear head she felt the same fear-like she could only be brave when desperate. _'No, when I need to protect someone.'_ she looked at the kids and mini-cons, and knew she couldn't afford to be afraid here either.

The blonde walked over to Alexis, and grabbed her shoulder. The girl blushed, and allowed Rachel to pull her over to Carlos. She gently but firmly pulled the boy to his feet, and grabbed them both by the hand, tugging them over to the group of smaller robots. Grindor immediately hugged Carlos, while Alexis wrapped her arms around Rachel and buried her head into the blonde's side.

Rachel stared at her, but only patted her back before looking at the green-haired girl. _'Clear head, keep a clear head.'_ she thought, but in the quiet room they could hear footsteps that didn't belong to the Autobots. "What happened? Why did you freak out, how did the Decepticons get into the base?"

The girl frowned, looking worried and worn down. "I saw through the sky spy that the Autobots had chased after the flying one, but inside I saw the other Decepticons had appeared in the base by some transportational means."

"Their warp gate." Rachel supplied. "Go on."

"The big one with antlers placed a disk into the system, and...and it _hurt,_ " the girl hugged herself, eyes wide as though it surprised her, "I felt a painful surge going through me-it attacked the systems and locked down all the doors and the transport-warp gate. I had to put myself on the seperate server Red Alert made for me just to remain in tact."

"So we're stuck." Rachel said darkly.

"Why are they here?" Carlos asked. "This can't be just for a sword!"

"They made a plan to lure the Autobots out and found a way to warp in. Since Cyclonus has the last component with him I don't doubt he's found his way in too with the other 'Cons." Rachel said frowning.

"What are they gonna do if they catch us?" Alexis asked, a tremor in her voice. "I don't wanna die!"

Rachel put her hands on the girl's shoulders and looked her square in the eyes. Alexis flushed deeper, but the blonde ignored that. "Listen," she said firmly, "you're not. Gonna. Die." she glanced over at Carlos, her gaze stern. "Neither of you. We'll get through this, and that means finding this disk and taking it out. Once the Autobots are back inside, _they_ can deal with the Decepticons."

"Where's this disk and who's going to get it?" Carlos asked.

Alexis stiffened, and she grabbed Rachel's wrist. "No, you can't go out there. You say you'll come back but what about if you don't?! It's too terrifying to even consider the possibility!"

Rachel looked at her sadly; she must be getting transparent if Alexis could see her thought process so easily now. "Someone has too-the mini-cons will have to much to worry about with capture if they go out." she bit her lip. "I hope the other minis are okay though, plus, the Decepticons aren't searching for humans."

 _"You're not going alone."_ High Wire said firmly.

Rachel rubbed her brow. "I know you want to help, but it's too dangerous for you."

 _"It is for you too, but you're doing this because you feel a responsibility for all of us-well, so do I!"_ High Wire retorted. " _I made a promise, and I'm not breaking it! I know this ship, and can help avoid detection better. Grindor and Sureshock will be able to protect their partners too."_ he explained, and the two other mini-cons nodded.

Rachel paced around the room, struggling to accept the explanation. She was torn between two minds-on the one hand, High Wire made sense, but on the other she didn't want him to get captured. _'High Wire isn't a child though,'_ she reminded herself, _'no matter how much he acts like one._ ' He could make his own choices, and that was ultimately the deciding factor.

"We can do this together then, but how do we get out of the room if it's locked?" Rachel questioned.

High Wire gestured to the space around them. " _The Autobots made the ship, which is why it was made to their scale. **But** , we did our own modifications to our convenience to make it...homier I could say."_ he walked over to the wall where there were he grabbed the bottom of the wall and pulled it open.

Carlos blinked. "I thought the doors were all locked?" he glanced at the green-haired girl. "That's what you said, right?"

The girl nodded, looking confused herself. "There were no secret doors from what I gathered."

High Wire rubbed his neck. _"They're not **secret** per say...you just need to know they're here."_ he looked sadly down at the ground. _"I'd suggest we use these to escape, but the actual exits could be blocked off by the mountain and lead to a dead end. If the Decepticons find this room though, the kids can just hide in here."_

"I still don't like this." Rachel said, but relayed what High Wire explained to them. She walked over to the wall, but felt a hand wrap around her wrist again. She furrowed her brow at Alexis. "What-?"

The brunette hugged her tightly. "Just try to stop being a hero after this, please." she whispered and looked up at Rachel with tears in her eyes. "You're too important to m-to Rad...to just die."

Rachel patted Alexis on the head, her heartstrings tugging. "I can't make that promise," she whispered, "just that I'll try my hardest to come back."

Alexis deflated, clearly not the answer she wanted, but it was the only one Rachel could give. Sureshock came up to Alexis and placed her hand on the girl's shoulder, beeping something that made Alexis let out what sounded like a mix between a sob and a laugh.

Rachel smiled briefly but was all business when she stared at the green-haired girl. "Before you transferred yourself-where did you see the disk being put in?"

* * *

 _'Just try to act casual, that won't make Shadow think you're onto him.'_ Rad repeated what Kero said to himself, but the Sakura Card hadn't shown himself since trying to bean him with a bottle. "What else can I do?"

"Talking to yourself? What, can't find anyone to stand you anymore?" A snide voice asked.

Rad's eye twitched, and he glared over his shoulder at Billy. An _alone_ Billy, which made Rad smirk. "Pot, meet kettle."

Billy scowled at him and crossed his arms. "Fred's on one of the rides, but it looks like you're actually by yourself. Don't you know how sad that is?"

Rad glared back, but glanced at a fishing game. "What's sad is how I can kick your butt at that game over there."

The taller boy glanced at the game, scoffing. "Yeah right."

Rad shrugged and turned, but smiled to himself. "Your loss, can't wait to tell Alexis and Carlos how much of a wuss you are."

"That's it!" Billy grabbed the back of Rad's hoodie and dragged him over to the game. " _When_ you lose, you're gonna buy both me and Fred lunch."

"And when _you_ lose, you'll be buying _me_ lunch." Rad retorted.

Both boys payed the vendor and recieved fishing rods with magnets for the hooks. The plastic fish were swished around by a water current vent in the small pool. Rad swirled his string around the water, while Billy rapidly drop it in and out. Rad flinched as he felt the cold, stalkery feeling wash over him.

The shadow of the fish jerked to the side, making an actual plastic fish move. It attached to Billy's magnet, and when the string pulled back, the fish flew out of the water and nailed Rad between the eyes.

"Ah!" The blond hissed, holding his forehead. Billy's triumphant howls grated on his nerves, even more so when he couldn't call foul. _'I don't know what hurts more, getting nailed in the head or losing to Billy.'_

Billy grinned as he dangled a yo-yo in front of Rad's eyes, who glowered at it. "I like hamburgers, Fred likes nachos. You'd better have a lot of money on you." he grabbed Rad by his arm and pulled him along.

Rad wrenched his arm free, and frowned when he caught a shadow slithering away-too fast to know where it went. _'Crud. There went my chance.'_ he rubbed his brow. "You got lucky."

"Sore loser." Billy retorted, jerking his chin up haughtily.

Rad's eye twitched again, and he felt Kero serritipiously pat his neck. Taking a deep breath, the blond followed Billy to the food vendors. He grumbled as he pulled out his money, reluctantly paying for the hamburger and nachos. "Shouldn't you be waiting for Fred? His food's gonna get cold."

Billy shrugged. "He'll eat it," he said dismissivally, "let's sit over here."

Rad crossed his arms. "What, just to order me around if you want more food?"

Billy huffed. "Why else?" he snapped and plopped down at a picnic table.

The blond rolled his eyes and sat on the other side. He drummed his fingers against the wood, but kept his eyes out for anything suspicious. And though he didn't see Shadow again, he thought for a moment he saw a flash of purple from the corner of his eye, but then a familiar brown-haired girl caught his eye. "Kelly?"

The brunette saw him, her face flushing as her arms tightened around a plush teddy bear. She spoke quietly to the older version of herself, who adjusted the braid over her shoulder and nodded. Kelly beamed and rushed over to Rad, panting lightly as she sat beside him. "Hi!"

"So, you're having fun I take it?" Rad asked.

Kelly flushed, nodding shyly. "Yeah, I won this in an egg race." she hugged the bear, smiling. "Do you wanna try a game? You know, with me?" she asked, her voice growing softer.

Rad thought it over for a moment. Well, Shadow did seem to like screwing up his chances at these games. "Why no-"

"He's busy!" Billy snapped, and Rad glared at him.

Kelly's nose wrinkled, and she scowled at him. "I don't think I was talking to _you_." she said harshly. "So why don't you mind your own business!"

"Well I got him first so buzz off!" Billy retorted.

Kelly shot to her feet, and Billy did the same. They both glared at each other over the table, and Rad could just imagine the fire in their eyes.

"What are you two even fighting about?" Rad asked incredulously. He jerked back when Kelly and Billy turned their glares on _him,_ and in unison shouted "Stay out of it!" before scowling back at each other.

Rad rolled his eyes and threw his hands up. "Whatever, I'm out of here." he said, but suspected that the two were too busy glowering to hear him. He waited until he was out of hearing range before speaking again. "That was weird."

"Yeah..." Kero trailed off, a frown on his face. He narrowed his eyes, brow creased. "It was." he glanced at something over the brim of Rad's hoodie, but Rad couldn't see what caught his attention.

"You sense Shadow?" Rad asked, but Kero shook his head and ducked back into the hoodie. Rad looked away, but a sudden jerk in the hoodie made him reel back sharply, seeing the small plush guardian flying off to the balloons. "Kero!" he called, his voice low but sharp. He clutched his hair when Kero ignored him. "I can't believe this."

A feeling of Rad fell over Rad, that dark forboding becoming more familiar. Rad looked over as screams erupted from a bounce house that had the side of it blown out, air leaving and the house quickly deflating. Rad saw the dark shadow slinking away, and glanced over at where Kero went.

At a crossroads, Rad groaned to himself, but took off after Shadow.

* * *

Kero's wings beat harshly, heart pounding as he ducked behind a wall. No one had seen him, but he could see his target. He _knew_ he recognized that presence, and there was no way he was leaving without answers of his own.

Rad, Rachel-one of these things wasn't like the other. He was promised...why hadn't it happened?

Kero glided onto the top of a sign, and dropped limpy on his target's head.

The form froze, and slowly a hand reached up to pluck him off. Familiar eyes, ones he hadn't seen in years, gazed into his own.

A smiled curved their lip, playful and stern. Their voice was soft to avoid suspicion, but Kero wanted to reply so badly when he heard it. "Kero-chan, it's been a while."

* * *

Rachel let High Wire take the lead, simply because her cell phone's spotlight wasn't as strong as his. She grimaced as she took in the state-nothing had rusted, but it was dusty and the walls were covered in grime. "Yeah, if we survive this, you really gotta clean these tunnels."

 _"Yeah, but then we'd have to work, and it's not like humans are gonna use them."_ High Wire shrugged.

Rachel rolled her eyes. _'Figures, no matter what the species, laziness is universal.'_ she thought. "Wait, I hear something." she whispered, and quiet clangs echoed through the hall.

High Wire turned off his spotlight, and they stood stiffly in the darkness. Just as quietly, the two of them continued. There was no other light source, so it kept them in total darkness.

When they turned the corner, Rachel and High Wire shrieked as they collided with something. Shrill beeps rang out, and many spotlights turned on, revealing to Rachel the Autobot mini-cons.

She held her chest, panicking replaced with relief as her heart slowed down. "You're all okay," she still checked over them, "though I think you'd be safer with the Autobots outside."

Jolt crossed his arms, beeping. High Wire translated it promptly. _"He said there's not much difference."_

Longarm warbled, head downcast, and High Wire relayed it. _"And now that the Decepticons are here things are a million times worse."_

"We have a plan though." Rachel said. "High Wire and I are going to fix what's causing this, and then the Autobots can come back in. Stay safe, it makes me worried if the Decepticon mini-cons could have the same idea to try these tunnels."

Sparkplug nodded, and pointed down another hall.

 _"They heard the Decepticons down there, so we should be careful."_ High Wire said, and both he and Rachel passed by the other mini-cons as they let them pass.

Rachel frowned as she looked around again, and High Wire beeped as he found the wall panel. "So this is where things get really real." she said sardonically.

High Wire shrugged. _"Yeah, but some things just require a bit of risk."_ he said before lifting the wall, and let Rachel go under it. He followed and let it gently settle back onto the ground. He looked at the blonde, and winced. " _Er, sorry-maybe we do need to clean up."_

Rachel deadpanned as she stared down at the dust on her jacket, and the grime which had coated her sleeves. "First, lets deal with problem 1." she said dryly, and the two of them continued onwards.

They both kept a close eye out for a slot in the wall, and High Wire beeped suddenly, drawing Rachel's attention. On the next wall over was a slot in the wall, with purple veins glowing even through the lines along the crease.

The only problem was the fact it was almost seven feet off the ground.

Rachel took in the height diferrence, and glanced at High Wire. "So, you mind getting a bit dirty?"

" _No."_ High Wire said wryly, and Rachel nodded.

She carefully climbed onto High Wire's back, and then onto his shoulders. He gripped her ankles securely and she leaned against the wall for extra measure. Her fingers pressed against the raised indent, and pushed-but nothing happened. "Come on! Work, damn it!"

Rachel slammed her fist against the button, but only got it to inch in. The pressure wasn't enough. She gasped as footsteps quickened to their position. "Oh crap."

 _"Hurry, put your back into it!"_ High Wire ordered.

Rachel gritted her teeth, and slammed both her hands against the button. The glow dimmed, and she ducked before the disk shot out. It clattered to the floor, but Rachel and High Wire's cheer was cut off sharply when a figure turned the corner.

"Insect!"

"Ah!" Rachel screeched and jumped from the mini-cons shoulder, a smoking dark spot against the wall above her. She saw Megatron's hateful glare, and High Wire quaked behind her. "Damn it."

"You can't just stop getting in my way, well no more!" Megatron glowered and his hand clenched. "I couldn't crush that brat, but I will enjoying tearing you apart so much more!"

A barrage of laser fire from the ceiling made Megatron step back, glaring at the guns mounted on the walls. The green-haired girl's voice rang through the hall. _"I will not allow harm to come to her or the mini-con. You will leave or I will continue to fire."_

Megatron scoffed. "What can you do-"

Laser fire cut him off, plinking off his body and he roared as he shielding his face. Rachel and High Wire didn't waste a moment to run the other way. They could hear the shots grow fainter, but both screamed as they turned the corner-only to find it was Hot Shot.

He jerked back at the sound, but his face softened in relief. "You're okay! Are the kids and the other minis fine too?"

Rachel nodded. "They're hiding out in the tunnels."

Hot Shot frowned. "Tunnels?" he repeated, but shook his head. "Anyway, get to safety, I'll handle Megatron. He's probably going for the other parts of the Star Saber."

"No need to tell us twice." Rachel said, and High Wire beeped in agreement.

* * *

Rad pulled the key from his neck, and made sure the area was clear. He'd seen Shadow take off for the hot air balloon rides, but no one was around at least. "Key of the star, with powers burning bright; reveal the staff and shine your light," the golden circled appeared under him, "release!" The key elongated, and Rad clutched the wand tightly.

He did another paranoid look around the area, but with the area still clear Rad broke for the shadow snaking along the ground. Rad pulled out card, but winced as he realized he didn't know how Rain could help him-didn't know how _any_ of his cards could help him. _'Darn it, Kero, where the heck are you!'_

How was he supposed to be beat a shadow that was actually running around broad freaking _daylight?_ Rad gritted his teeth, and pulled out the rest of the Sakura Cards. He looked over each one, biting his lip as he felt his head pound as he couldn't think straight. _'How, what-how, what?!'_

Rad started breathing heavily, but a sense of calm began to wash over him. It reminded him of Glow, with a reassuring warmth growing inside of him. The blond's breathing slowed, and he took in a calming breath. _'Okay, okay, just go through this step by step-work it out and see what you can do.'_

Nodding to himself, Rad looked over the cards again. Glow could work against Shadow, but he didn't know how strong the lights were. None of the others would work as well, not unless Shadow had a physically form. _'Which means I need to get him into that._ ' Which was where Glow could come in.

Where would be lead him too? Rad frowned and looked around, his eyes spying a building by the balloon rides. Rad nodded to himself, and put all cards for now back into his pocket except for three. The blond concentrated, his brows knitting as he felt for the dark, cold, stalkerish feeling Shadow gave off.

His eyes snapped open, and Rad threw a card into the air. "Dash!" he yelled and shot forward to avoid the dark tendrils that had lunged for him. Rad whirled around and jogged in place, grimacing as he saw the sweeping darkness along the ground. "Come on, what's the matter-too slow?"

The shadows boiled, and Rad super sped into the building. He used his second card as he rushed up the stairs. He yelped as a spike slammed into the wall just above him. The circle appeared under him, moving in place with him. "Lock!" he yelled, and all around him a pulse emitted from the card and the walls all glowed for a moment.

Rad narrowed his eyes down at the swirling mass that was prodding at the windows and door. Neither broke. "Only one of us is leaving, so why don't you show me what ya got?" he jumped back when a tendril shot up at him, piercing through the wood where he'd stood.

The blond ducked behind a wall, and threw his third card into the air. "Glow, spread your light and make Shadow move!" he pointed the wand at the card, and dozens of bright orbs flew out of the card, and Rad felt the floor tremble as he saw through the cracks how the light was making Shadow swerve and coil away.

It lasted until Shadow couldn't take anymore and slid through the cracks to the floor Rad was on. The mass came together, and Rad readied his next card when a cloaked form appeared. "So this is what you look like, huh?"

Shadow thrust out an arm, and Rad jumped to the side as the sharpened point pierced the wood, but Shadow didn't stop as he aimed the other arm at Rad. The blond ducked and the point pierced the pillar frame.

"Windy, trap Shadow!" Rad didn't have anything fancier to say, because he was _really_ sick of thinking. The spirit burst from the card, and began to wrap around Shadow's body, her own tendrils keeping the black masses trapped in the wood. Rad stood in front of the window, holding out his staff as the wings at the tip glowed. "Return to your power confine, Sakura Card!"

The spirit thrashed in Windy's grip, but was slowly vaccuumed into the shell card. The arms were the last to be sucked in, and Rad grinned as the card floated to him. Windy, Glow and Lock followed, and he smiled gratefully at them. "Thank you." he placed the cards into his pocket, and couldn't help but jump in cheer. "Yes-ahh!" The wood cracked under his foot, and Rad jerked back-realizing too late the only thing behind him was a window.

The blond's eyes widened in horror as he crashed through the glass. "Craaap!" he screamed, quickly reaching into his pocket. Something collided with his form, and the sharpness of it caused his wand to fall from his grasp. "Damn it, not again!" he looked up, but flinched when he fond a visor staring back at him. "Huh?"

Confusion set in further when the mystery person was able to spring board off the wall and into the hands of a giant robot. Rad's mind stalled, seeing that he was being held bridal style by the rider, but both of them were being held now by a purple and yellow bot. The robot put the dark-clad rider on the ground, who in turn set Rad on his feet.

"W-what?" Rad questioned, his eyes widening again as the rider's suit dissolved, revealing a _mini-con_ that jumped towards the larger robot. The mini-con transfomed into a helmet and landed on top of the bot's head, with Rad's eye turning to the familiar red decal on his chest. "Autobot?"

The bot nodded. "Got in one." he glanced down at the staff lying a few feet away. "That yours?"

Rad stiffened, and quickly picked it up, but resisted shrinking it. "Yeah," he said slowly, "so..." he furrowed his brow, "you're the motorcycle I've been seeing all day?"

"Sorry about the cloak and dagger thing, but I wasn't sure if you knew the other Autobots or not." The bot explained. "Wouldn't wanna accidently find myself with the Decepticons."

Rad smiled shakily, but both the robot and his mini-con _did_ save him. "Y-yeah. So, thanks for the save."

"No problem, but what were you doing up there?" The bot questioned.

The blond bit his lip. "Nothing, just checking it out." he answered quietly, and not-so-subtly changed the subject. "You wanna meet with the rest of the Autobots?"

"Sounds like a plan." The robot replied, and Rad watched the fact the mini-con once more had a hologram over its body to make it seem like a rider, while the bot transformed into a now very familiar purple and yellow motorbike. "Hop on."

"Sure-" Rad stopped, his eyes catching sight of the yellow plush toy hanging over a low tree brance. The blond's eye twitched. _'Now you show up?'_ he rolled his eyes and grabbed Kero before getting onto the motorcycle behind the rider, wrapping one arm around their waist while the other held his wand and Kero securely. "Oh, I didn't catch your name. Mine's Rad."

"Name's Sideways."

* * *

Hot Shot could feel his spark pulsing heatedly in his chest. The glass chamber was still a bit sore from when Starscream almost ripped it apart, but there was no way he was going to let Megatron get near those Star Saber mini-cons. He hoped Rachel and High Wire were some place safe at least, along with the other minis and kids. _'Guess Rad lucked out when he decided not to come in today.'_

The mech turned at the corner, but found no sign of Megatron, just smoking remains of the cannons that had been mounted on the wall. "Hey, where'd Megatron go?"

The girl's voice rang over the intercom, frustrated. _"He has the final mini-con part, he's heading to the other pieces. The rest of the Decepticons were dispatched by your comrades, but this one proves to be harder to deter."_

Hot Shot grimaced. "Don't we know it." he replied. "Just keep trying to hold him off. I'll go get the other components and regroup with the other Autobots."

 _"Just hurry."_ Was the strained reply.

Hot Shot didn't waste any time in standing around, and took off down another corridor for the room where the mini-con panels were being held. He couldn't let Megatron get his hands on them, on the Star Saber-that would spell trouble for all of them! _'Come on, move faster!'_ he shouted at himself, pushing his leg struts to the limit.

He felt something snap in his right leg, and Hot Shot bit back the scream of pain. _'Red Alert can fix it after, don't think about it.'_ It stung though, but he finally made it to the room wih no Megatron in sight. _'A couple lasers isn't enough to make him give-though it would save us a lot of trouble.'_ he thought, and winced when he saw the remaining two components glowing. Hot Shot pressed the lock, and stood guard in front of the panels, blaster at the ready.

" _Hot Shot, he's still going for the mini-cons,_ " the girl said, " _I informed Optimus, Red Alert and Smokescreen of the sitaution; they're ETA is three minutes."_

Hot Shot jerked up at the crash against the door, furious roars on the other side. "Yeah, tell them I don't have three minutes."

"Open this door right now, little Autobot, and I _may_ spare your life." Megatron said.

Hot Shot scowled. "Somehow I don't believe you." his arms still ached from their encounter in the antartic.

"Then you've sealed your fate." Megatron growled.

Hot Shot flinched when a hard object slammed against the door, followed by a barrage of laser fire. The door began to creak, and the yellow bot kept a digit on the trigger, tensing as a black servo burst through the door. Hot Shot fired, but all that happened when the laser hit was an irritated "How _annoying"_ from the other side.

"Scrap!" Hot Shot snapped as the digits dug into the metal and Megatron roared as he began to pull the door open. It might have been useless, but Hot Shot didn't let up shooting the servo until it was pulled open-there was _no way_ he was getting close to the Decepticon unless he had too.

"Go, join your brethren and become my ultimate weapon!" Megatron ordered and Hot Shot saw him drop a white and blue mini-con onto the floor.

The yellow mech looked between Megatron and the smaller bot, but gritted his denta as he dove for the mini-con. Hot Shot yelped as his bad leg was grabbed by the ankle, and he turned back to find Megatron had reached out and grasped his pede.

"Let's not interfere." he said smirking.

Hot Shot scowled at him, but looked fearfully as the final Star Saber mini-con dashed straight for the wall where the other two panels where located. His lips twisted into a scowl, and he turned and fired at Megatron. "Let go, let go!"

The Decepticon snarled as he began dragging Hot Shot to himself. "Such persistence; how _adorable."_ he sneered.

Hot Shot shuddered. "Don't call me that, Decepticreep!" his blaster was knocked out of his grip as Megatron lunged forward and grabbed his wrist, and Hot Shot screeched as his other leg buckled under the strain of the Decepticon's leg pinning it down.

"Stop, please don't this!" Hot Shot gritted his denta, and he strained to look back. The green-haired girl had physically appeared in front of the other two panels, with the third mini-con posed as though surprised to see her.

It didn't last long, as the mini-con began beeping and letting out shrill screeches, waving their fists angrily at her. The girl tensed up, unlikely to understand the words but the body language spoke volumes. The mini-con recognized her, and that wasn't good.

"Please, I'm sorry for all that my people did, but being with the Decepticons isn't right either!" she pleaded, hands clapsed.

"Stop wasting time and get on with it!" Megatron snarled.

The mini-con nodded and walked through the girl, who had an ashamed and terrified look on her face. She closed her eyes tightly and fritzed out. The other two panels activated and they briefly conversed with each other before the three of them began to combine into a sword with an ornate handle, a wide blade, and a pointed tip.

"Yes, it's mine!" Megatron lifted his servo to catch the sword as it sailed towards him.

"Not a chance!" Hot Shot shouted. He reached past Megatron's arm to grab his antler and pulled on it. The motion didn't get him to move, but sure got his servo too-and let the Star Saber flew fight past to imbede itself into the wall.

"What?!" he glared down at Hot Shot. "You little brat!" he lifted the yellow mech up by the neck, but before he could do more, a barrage of laser fire barrelled into his side. He glared over at the door, where Optimus stood with his wrist cannon aimed at the Decepticon, who smiled darkly. "Well, this is familiar, but I seem to recall it being with your berth warmer."

Hot Shot's anger spiked. "Don't call him that!" he slammed his fist into Megatron's optic and felt it crack. When the grip loosened around his neck, he pulled himself free and grabbed the handle of the Star Saber and tugged it free from the wall. The held the sword out in front of him, and along the blade it broke into a buzzing blue glow. "You have no right to say _anything_ about Red _or_ Optimus!"

Megatron glared at him through a cracked optic, before turning it on the Prime. "What a good little lackey you've got there." he said darkly, and Optimus tensed up before sneering back at the yellow mech. "Do you think you have any idea how to use the sword's power?"

Hot Shot gritted his teeth. _'No,'_ he admitted to himself, ' _but I won't let you take it!_ '

"Your soldiers have all fled," Optimus said, "do you think _you_ have any chance?"

Megatron narrowed his optics. "I will _never_ pass up a chance!" he snarled, and lunged for the sword.

Hot Shot reactively reeled it back, and sliced it in a downward arch. He tensed up when Megatron stiffened, staggering back. _'Did...did I get him?'_

His answer came when one of Megatron's antler began to slide, and fell clean off. The Decepticon made a strangled noise, and a creak rang out before a large piece of his tread followed suit. Oil began to seep out, and Megatron glared viciously at Hot Shot. "Enjoy your victory while it lasts." he spat, and he warped away.

Hot Shot vented deeply, and leaned back against the wall. "I can't believe I did that." he whispered, dazed and in disbelief. "I actually made Megatron run away." he paused, and glanced down at the sword. "Well, we did."

The yellow mech looked up when a servo was placed on his shoulder, and Optimus stared down at him. "You did well," he said firmly, "are you injured?"

"Yeah." Hot Shot replied. "But before we go see Red Alert...I was wondering if I could make sure the kids are okay."

Optimus paused, his gold optics thoughtful. "Very well." he nodded, and added somewhat ruefully, "Though Red Alert will not be pleased with either of us."

Hot Shot grinned, but groaned when the perimeter alarm went off again. "What now?"

 _"A purple and yellow motorcycle is nearing the base, with a rider and young blond boy."_ The green-haired girl reported.

"Blond-Rad!" Hot Shot said in realization. "We have to get out there!"

Optimus nodded, and allowed Hot Shot to lean against him as they briskly made for the exit.

* * *

Rachel's blood pumped loudly through her ears, her legs aching as she sprinted for the entrance. The threat of the Decepticons had passed, but once she heard the description of the motorbike, and that _Rad_ was with it, she got angry and scared all over again. High Wire jogged to keep up with her, while the kids used their mini-cons as transport. She might have done the same if she was thinking clearly, but she wasn't.

And the moment she stepped outside, her eyes locked on the parked bike and Rad, who furrowed his brow.

"Ray, what happened to you?"

"That doesn't matter-get away from that bike!" Rachel snapped.

The blond flinched. "What-why?"

"Because that was the bike that kept trying to run me over!" Rachel yelled. Behind her, both Carlos and Alexis stared.

Rad's jaw went slack, and he looked at the headlights for some reason. "You...you did?"

And the most shocking part-the bike spoke _back_. "Yeah, I might have come across that yellow-haired human a few times. I didn't know I was breaking any rules though."

Rad looked earnestly at Rachel, shifting the staff and plush toy into his other hand as he stepped off the motorbike. "See? He just didn't know any better. Plus, he saved me from-" he paused, "well, I kinda thought this house was part of the show, turns out the floorboards were _really_ unstable and I fell out the window."

Rachel's heart panged. "What?!" she scrutinzed his appearance, and turned a suspicious eye to the motorbike. "And you saved him? Why?"

The bot didn't reply at first. His rider jumped off, revealing itself to be a mini-con, and when the robot transformed-it became his helmet of all things. Rachel's eyes were drawn to the red insignia on his chest that he gestured to. "Isn't this reason enough?"

"And didn't you just get over your issues with Smokescreen?" Rad asked pointedly.

"If it means that much to you, I'm really sorry about almost running you over." The robot said.

Rachel glowered at him, but she was torn. On the one hand, Rad was right-this bot was likely new to earth and probably didn't know about traffic rules...or basic decency to _not_ hit the thing by the crosswalk. She still felt angry though; she'd been carry it since she'd almost got run down the first time. _'Smokescreen turned out to be not-so-bad, maybe this bot won't be so bad either.'_ she thought. "Fine, I accept your apology." she placed her hand on her chest. "And you did save Rad, so...I guess that makes you okay."

The blonde gave a lopsided smile. "What's your name then?"

"Sideways," the bot replied, "and believe me, you won't regret it."


	20. Chapter 19: Flower Child

**Chapter 19: Flower Child**

 _(Alternative Title: That's Not Suspicious At All)_

* * *

Rad felt like banging his head against the wall. He'd been wanting to do it since Rachel told him that the science carnival was having an extension for today. When he'd asked _why_ , she explained it was due to some of the equipment malfunctioning and the supervisors wanting to give people a nice extra day to enjoy it.

It was why the supervisors had asked around at the college for volunteers and Rachel decided to apply. And now it was Tuesday and she was likely excused from class to help the fair personnel.

 _'Damn it Shadow, why'd you have to make_ everyone _miserable on Sunday?'_ Rad couldn't blame the card for being mad, but he just wished Shadow had done it in a non-aggressive manner. Rad's forehead throbbed from the phantom pain. Or in a non-violent way.

"Hey, Rad, what's the matter with you?" Carlos asked.

Rad blinked, and sharply remembered where he was. It was after school, and he, Carlos and Alexis were walking to their mini-cons. "Oh, just thinking about the fair."

"And that's making you upset?" Alexis asked incredulously.

"Yeah, I mean- I can understand Alexis being a buzz kill about it." Carlos said, and the brunette glared at him.

"I'm not _upset_ about it," Rad replied quickly before his friends could begin arguing, "just that things didn't go well for it."

 _"Yeah, it's almost like there's some external force at work."_ High Wire was close enough to hear them, and Rad scowled at his bike form. The other two warbled in agreement, and he saw his friends looked confused with what they were talking about.

"I'm still going," Rad said forcefully; High Wire always thought Kero was too distrusting, and though the blond wanted to fess up, Kero would just annoy him into submission -something really big had to happen for him to budge, "just to support it. I feel like I need to make up for how reluctant I was to go in the first place; Rachel will be happy about that at least."

Alexis blinked. "Rachel?"

Rad nodded. "She volunteered for it, probably already there." he said, and Alexis' face went an interesting shade of pink. "You thinking of going?"

"Nope!" Carlos said instead. "If Ray's not at the base, then that means Grindor and I can talk to that new Autobot and the girl without Ray being our babysitter!"

Alexis scowled, and for a moment she appeared torn. Slowly, another scowl settled onto her face. "No, Carlos-you will _not_ bug them because I'm going to the base too."

Carlos crossed his arms. "You don't even like going there, this is just to get on my nerves isn't it?"

Alexis huffed. "I have better things to do than waste my time annoying you-this is so you don't overwhelm either of them with your questions."

Rad shook his head, and gave a quick goodbye before wheeling High Wire to the sidewalk. He couldn't believe his friends, but he'd been thinking about the new bot since he'd saved him-well, since his _mini-con_ saved him would be more accurate. The blond frowned-how much had Sideways seen? _Did_ he see anything? He hadn't asked about the staff, nor did he press about Rad's flimsy excuse. His mini-con was pretty interesting too; though it was actually rather quiet since it hadn't said anything at all.

"What do you think of Sideways and his mini-con, High Wire?" Rad asked.

" _I don't like them."_ High Wire said, his tone so cold that Rad almost fell off the bike.

"What? Why?"

" _I know they saved you, but-but it's hard to explain."_ High Wire said in frustration. " _Maybe it's nothing, but I've never met a mini-con like that before. He's too tall for one, and the fact he's so quiet is...unsettling."_

"Okay, so maybe they're both a bit weird, what with the mini-con being unexpected, and Sideways a bit too oblivious to traffic laws if the fact he almost ran Ray down twice is any indication," Rad said, "but come on-let's not immediately start being suspicious of them. The worst that can be said is they're both kinda rude."

 _"I...I suppose Ray just rubbed off on me."_ High Wire admitted sheepishly. " _She was always paranoid about Smokescreen until they began working things out."_

Rad smiled. "There ya go."

 _"It might also have been jealousy talking-I thought you were starting to like Sideways more than me since you haven't stopped talking about him at the Autobot base."_ High Wire replied.

Rad blushed. "What-that's not it at all. I only did that to convince Ray, Alexis and Carlos he wasn't so bad."

Really, why would High Wire think that?

* * *

Sideways didn't say much-that wasn't to say he _didn't_ talk, but the mech spent most of his time observing them. It was strange, but unlike with Smokescreen, they didn't _know_ him like they knew the orange mech. Maybe that was why Hot Shot went looking for the newcomer, but wondered how to start a conversation.

And when he found the purple mech standing outside the base, Hot Shot decided to just blurt out the first thing that came to mind. "So you were a drifter, but why'd you decide to come to Earth?" Hot Shot winced; wow, that was bad.

Sideways didn't have much of a face, and his voice was just as unreadable. "Seemed like an interesting place to be. Surprised to find the war had come here, but you all seem to be doing a good job of holding the 'Cons back."

Hot Shot grinned and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, we're kind of awesome like that." he clenched his fist proudly. "And now that we got the Star Saber, we'll keep on kicking Decepticon aft!" he winced as his knee ached-right, still needed to take it easy.

The purple mech noticed too, and his tone turned dry. "You gotta save your strength for them than looking for some loner."

Hot Shot's face plate warmed, and he scratched his cheek. "Well, you're never gonna get to know us if you don't _interact_ with us." he paused as he realized how deep that was for him, and he smiled to himself.

Sideways peered at him, optics narrowed slightly. "Yeah, I guess that's true." he said quietly.

Hot Shot grinned. "So what's the story with your mini-con? Don't think I've seen one like him."

"Just found him, like you found yours, same old story," Sideways said vaguely, and abruptly asked, "What's with that pink card? I've seen you looking at it, but you get real edgy over it."

Hot Shot shifted on his good leg uncomfortably. "You saw it?" he could have sworn he'd only looked at when no one was around. Sideways was quieter than he thought to sneak around so easily. "Well, it's kind of a...complicated issue." He'd only told the basics of what happened to Smokescreen, but even he just viewed it as an amusing story than the truth.

"Complicated?"

"Let's just say...I saw something no one else believes me about." Hot Shot muttered. "It had to be a Wisp, I just know it."

"Wisp?" Sideways repeated. He straightened up and crossed his arms. "Ah, tricky beings aren't they? Can't trust _anything_ they say. You'd be better off sleeping next to a Decepticon and believing they won't shoot you in the spark the moment you close your optics."

Hot Shot blinked, surprise crossing his face as his jaw dropped. He...someone actually knew what he was talking about? "So...if I told you I fought a dragon and it turned into a card you'd believe me?"

"Yes," Sideways nodded, his optics hard, "Wisps are nasty creatures. It doesn't surprise me at all it would be so deceitful."

Hot Shot's spark pulsed, thudding against his chest plate. Something between relief and elation overcame him, and he lunged forward. His arms wrapped around the purple mech, and due to the slight few inches he had on the mech, the yellow bot lifted the other off his pedes. Sideways had gone still, and Hot Shot's faceplate flushed. "I know you've only been here for few days, but-but it just means so _much_ to be believed." he cleared his vocalizer and set Sideways down. "Thank you."

The purple mech slowly relaxed, and he just as slowly reached up to grip Hot Shot's shoulder. "Glad I could help then."

Hot Shot beamed at him, but the sound of honking drew his attention and he looked down to find Alexis and Carlos riding up the trail on Sureshock and Grindor. "Hey, kids."

"Hi/Hey." Alexis and Carlos called back.

Sideways tilted his head. "Where's that other kid, Rad? The one I saved-how's he doing?"

"Ah, well, he's fine." Alexis answered. "He's at a fair with Rachel, his cousin."

Carlos hopped off Grindor and the mini-con transformed. "So, what are you two doing out here? I didn't think giant robots found caves stuffy."

"If we did then we'd have found a base somewhere else." Hot Shot replied dryly, but winced. He was really glad Smokescreen hadn't heard him say that. "So why aren't you two at this fair? It sounds fun-for, you know, humans."

Carlos huffed and crossed his arms. "Little kids maybe, but you bots are _way_ cooler than a fair!"

Alexis rubbed her brow, and let out a frustrated groan as she chased after Carlos, who'd taken off for the inside. "Hey, wait up!" Sureshock and Grindor beeped as they followed after the two.

"That was...odd. Yesterday they were leery of me, and now they barely stammer." Sideways noted.

Hot Shot shrugged. "They kinda went through something similar with Smokescreen-although you had a _far_ better introduction." he said and grinned, gratitude in his optics. "You saved Rad; after Smokescreen I'd like to think he's one of my closer friends-they both gave me a pep talk, so does that count?" he mused to himself.

Sideways though had looked at him once he mentioned Rad. "He wasn't scared of me," he said quietly, as though it was to himself more than for Hot Shot's benefit. "He... _sort of_ reminds me of someone, but then again-none of you bots are scared of me either."

Hot Shot snorted. "Got no reason to be. You're not exactly social but neither is Red." he explained nonchalantly. "Rad though really seems to like you, but that just might be his own gratitude talking."

"I see." Sideways said slowly. "You're more insightful than Red Alert seems to think."

"Thanks- _hey!_ "

* * *

Rad walked through the carnival, people milling around him as though this wasn't actually a make-up day for Sunday. It was nice. Rad smiled, and High Wire felt curious as he trembled minutely. It was difficult to stay transformed, and Rad made sure to walk close enough to the booths so his mini-con friend could see what they were about.

High Wire beeped softly every now and again, but piped down completely when they walked by a human.

Rad grinned when he saw Rachel, and hurried to pull High Wire's bike form with him towards her. "Ray!"

The blonde looked behind her. She smiled back, but furrowed her brow when she saw High Wire. "He hasn't transformed, has he?"

"Nope, he's being good about it too." Rad said.

" _Difficult, but true."_ High Wire said morosely.

Rachel shook her head, and put her hands on her hips as she looked around. "Can you believe it? Like Sunday's disaster never happened."

Rad winced, but Rachel didn't notice. "Yeah," he said quietly, "so how have thing's been going? A lot of people show up?"

"Some, I think people are in shock over that the fair's still going on today." Rachel said sadly. "I wish something could spice things up, get more people interested, you know?"

Rad nodded. "I hope it'll happen too, it would be nice, right?"

Rachel chuckled softly. "Right." she gestured to the booths. "Go on, have fun-" she stopped as a pink petal landed on her palm. She and Rad blinked down at it, but turned their gazes to the sky as more blew over the fair. "Well, looks like the sponsors _were_ thinking ahead. This is beautiful." she said, her eyes soft.

Rad nodded, but a churning started up in his gut. Perhaps it was just the paranoia of Shadow's disaster, but he kept an eye out in case. "I'll get going." he paused, and sighed deeply with a faint smile. "And it _is_ nice."

" _Yeah._ " High Wire added, but once they were out of Rachel's earshot, added, _"Anything **magical** about it though?"_

"Nothing so far," Rad said, "but I'm keeping my senses-or whatever this detection is-open."

* * *

Alexis wasn't exactly _comfortable_ being around the Autobots fully, especially with how the Decepticons got into the base, but she wasn't going to just drop them. Her friends and Rachel still wanted to be around them. She blushed thinking of the blonde, and smiled to herself.

The smile faded when she continued with her original thoughts. Optimus assured them that Red Alert and the hologram girl-who really needed a name-were doing their best to test and scramble their location, hiding the Autobot base behind layers of coding to mislead anyone-Decepticon and even human.

That wasn't a comfort, but it alleviated at least a _little_ bit of her nerves. Kelly would be at home here though; she was more confident and loved this mecha stuff. She sighed quietly, trying not to draw attention to herself. Sureshock still noticed, but didn't say anything.

Kelly was well-adjusted, given her father had to go back to Hong Kong to still be the family head, leaving every summer since her parents moved to Lincoln. It was why Alexis tried to be more friendly with Kelly; they lived in the same town, while their other cousins all still lived in China. Alexis didn't understand _exactly_ what the family clan was about, but her mother would tell her that it was magical. Alexis rolled her eyes every time- _magic_ , right.

"What? You mean you haven't gone out yet?" Carlos' voice broke Alexis out of her thoughts, and he was staring incredulously up at Sideways, who shrugged nonchalantly.

"Don't need to, saw everything in the town I had too." he replied flatly.

Hot Shot looked just as scandalized. "This place is so cool though! There's all kinds of buildings, for almost everything. I can't go there, but the television lets me see it!"

"I still can't believe something you found it in the trash works." Red Alert muttered.

Hot Shot glared at him, but Optimus put his hand on the yellow bot's shoulder. "Actually, that's not a bad idea. We could all use some down time." he said calmly. "Sideways and Smokescreen haven't seen the fascinating place we dwell outside of." he glanced down at Alexis and Carlos. "Would you care to help us?"

Carlos slumped, but for once Alexis was willing to spend time with them. "I would be glad too." she said.

The brunet crossed his arms, but then smiled slyly. "Alexis can show you the town, but what about the mini-cons? Can I give them my own tour?"

"That is quite considerate, Carlos." Optimus said. He glanced at the hologram girl. "Please asks the mini-cons if they would be interested in seeing the town."

The green-haired girl nodded, and disappeared. A few moments later, she reappeared, her expression downcast. "Longarm, Sparkplug, and Jolt are on their way here. Runway, Jetstorm and Sonar," she looked away, "they ran into the tunnels the moment I appeared-they will not be going."

"Don't worry, they can't stay mad at you forever." Carlos said reassuringly, but Alexis doubted it. They were thousands of years old, their memories were _long_ and being used as a weapon was probably just like yesterday for the Star Saber mini-cons.

The hologram girl likely knew it too, as she didn't say anything in reply to it. "I'll continue monitoring the systems." she said instead, and fritzed out of sight.

Grindor warbled, and patted Carlos on the back as his shoulders slumped. Carlos had such an obvious crush on the green-haired girl, that Alexis was surprised Rad hadn't noticed. Then again, Rachel was just as romantically oblivious, which frustrated Alexis a lot.

The three aforementioned mini-cons walked in, and Sureshock looked at Alexis, her voice deadpan. " _I'm going with them, you're sad and boring-even more than usual."_

Alexis' cheeks puffed as Sureshock walked away and followed Carlos and the rest of the mini-cons outside. She crossed her arms. ' _I'm not boring, I'm driven!'_

"Alexis? Are you okay? Your face is turning red."

The brunette stiffened as Hot Shot's words registered, and she coughed into her hand. "Yes, I'm okay. Sureshock is only...teasing me."

Hot Shot nodded in sympathy. "Jolt's the same way."

"Hey, Sideways," Smokescreen looked at his fellow newcomer curiously, "doesn't your mini-con want to go with them?"

The purple and yellow bot tilted his head, his lack of face making it harder to tell his mood. "No, Mirror is more interested in seeing the town."

"Given your mini-con has his own suit to appear like a biker, I'm actually kind of jealous we can't do that too." Hot Shot said, optics narrowed.

"Don't stress yourself with the schematics of it." Red Alert said dryly.

Hot Shot huffed, and Alexis jerked back when he threw an arm around the medic's shoulder. "After this tour, we have to work on your sense of humor. Maybe spend a few hours with Smokescreen and I, and we'll get you a solid personality yet."

Red Alert looked back at Optimus, who only shook his head. The medic let out a quiet huff, and Optimus sighed as well. Alexis blinked as she looked between them, and found it oddly reminescent of her parents.

 _'Are they...together?'_ Could robots _be_ romantically involved with each other? Alexis knew from Hot Shot alone that they had emotions, but it never crossed her mind they could love one another. _'I...I think I have to pay attention more.'_ She blinked when Optimus walked up beside her.

"Where would you recommend we start first?"

Alexis slowly beamed. "The most important place in town, the school of course!"

She blushed; here she almost said 'Rachel's apartment'. That would have been embarrassing.

* * *

Rad hadn't seen Billy, which was rather disappointing because he wanted a rematch without a card interfering. He ended up drifting around, gazing at the tech displayed and the booths he hadn't tried on Sunday. It made him blush to realize he'd forgotten to ask Rachel for money, and as he was currently searching for her, he saw people wearing the same red vests as Rachel sweeping away petals that had began to cover the ground.

Rad blinked. _'Well, that's a bit overkill.'_ How many petals did the supervisors have on hand?

"Oh wow, look at the robots!"

The blond froze, and he felt High Wire's surprise and fear just as sharply. Rad looked over his shoulder, and a little boy was pointing at a group of _very_ familiar robots being led by an equally familiar boy. "This can't be happening." he muttered and hurried to roll High Wire over to Carlos, where upon he grabbed the brunet's shoulder. "What are they doing here?" he hissed. "No one can know about them."

"Chill, Rad." Carlos shook his arm off. "Don't get all Alexis on me. Besides, it's cool; Optimus let me take the minis out while Alexis is showing him and the other Autobots around town."

That explanation didn't really answer the question. "Okay, but why did you bring them _here_ specifically-there are people everywhere!"

"Yeah, but it's a _science_ fair, I just say they're part of the show and it's all good." Carlos said proudly.

" _It's true, someone asked and they bought it."_ Longarm sounded amazed by this, and the other mini-cons felt the same.

"Well..." Rad was still uneasy; he'd been so paranoid about the Sakura Cards he hadn't had time to be paranoid about the Autobots or mini-cons being discovered. Which was quite stupid of him-not to mention inherently hypocritcal. _'Here I want the minis to be kept a secret, but I want to blab about magic. The fact these mini-cons haven't spilled the beans about me yet proved they were trustworthy-is that the difference between the two situations?'_

Rad didn't really know, and High Wire jerked out of his grasp. He slid into the group, and transformed behind the blockade and popped up. "Hey, little warning next time?"

High Wire rubbed his neck sheepishly, but then a determined resolve emitted from him. _"Today our secret is safe-I know just the place we can explore! To the fishing booth, follow me!"_

Rad slapped his forehead. "I can't believe he's thousands of years old."

Carlos raised a brow, and Rad relayed what the blue mini-con said. A grin stretched across his lips. "Oh man, I gotta see this!"

The blond groaned, and resisted the urge to slap his forehead again. "Unbelievable." he muttered. He made a move to follow, but stopped as petals fell harder from above him. Rad let one drop in his palm, and he stiffened. A large surge of happiness flowed through him, a strong flowery aroma filling his nose, and he swayed slightly. _'Why...why I feel like dancing? Is there a card that can do that?'_

The thought snapped him out of it, and he shook his head. Right, Sakura Card, time to get his head in the game. Rad glanced around, and gripped his key as he hurried behind a booth.

"Release!"

* * *

Alexis was tentative to name it, but she could admit playing tour guide was...fun. She'd shown the Autobots the school, the bed and breakfast, Ms. Jay's bakery, and the hospital. "And that's where Rad and Rachel live." She'd waited until they got to the appropriate spot before bringing them to the apartment, just so they wouldn't think she was strange.

"Hmm, fascinating, they own the building?" Optimus questioned.

Alexis flushed. "Um, no, they live in a two bedroom apartment."

"You know, kinda curious that it's just them," Sideways said casually, while Mirror looked up at the apartment, "don't they have other relatives?"

"Uh, yeah, but the situation's...Rad doesn't like to talk about it." Alexis coughed into her hand. "You'll have to ask him. Rachel's a great guardian though. She takes our safety very seriously."

"Given she held a grudge against me, she's real intense about it too." Smokescreen said.

"Hey, she let up eventually, you just had to save Rad." Hot Shot teased the orange bot.

"Rad seems to be her blind spot, that kind of devotion can be dangerous." Sideways drawled.

Alexis stiffened. She didn't know if it was the undercurrent of deprecation in his voice or just the fact he singled out Rad specifically, but she felt...uneasy. Rad spent the better part of Sunday trying to vouch for him, rallying hard to convince her and Carlos that Sideways wasn't bad. It never did diminish how _little_ he actually seemed to care he almost killed Rachel-how little he actually seemed to think of her. _'Maybe I'm just getting worked up over nothing. Rachel's_ my _weakness after all.'_

"Alexis?" Optimus' voice broke her out of her thoughts, and she realized they were on the move again. "Are you well?"

"Hmm? Ah, yes, I'm fine." The brunette said. "Where were we? Oh yes, over there's the electronic store and-stop."

Optimus halted, and Alexis' eyes widened. "Alexis, what's the matter?"

"That...that's footage from the fair." she tapped the window and Optimus rolled it down, allowing her to lean out and hear the reporter, who was holding a clipboard over her head as a snowstorm of pink petals fell to the ground with people trying to sweep them away.

"As you can see behind me, volunteers are becoming overwhelmed by this strange occurrence. No word if this is an event gone wrong or a strange weather phenomenon." The woman said, the petals now up to her waist. "We'll continue to stream live, this is Kelly Bomgartner from Channel 4 Eyewitness Weather-ek!" she jumped when a _very_ familiar orange mini-con brushed past the woman and swept the petals up, and moved on just as promptly.

"Uh, we all saw Sureshock, right?" Hot Shot asked.

"Yes." Red Alert said. "Alexis, is this storm normal weather?"

"No, not at all." Alexis said, furrowing her brow. "Wait, Sureshock was there...Carlos took the mini-cons to the fair! Rachel and and Rad are there too!"

Optimus' tone became all business. "Alexis, strap yourself in. Mechs, we must hurry to the fairground."

"Optimus, what about being seen?" Smokescreen asked.

"If this is indeed a dangerous situation we cannot allow the humans to be harmed." Optimus said firmly.

"Yes, sir." The orange bot replied.

Alexis bit her lip as they drove to the fair, clenching her fists. Was everyone okay? Sureshock was helping out, but how could Carlos have thought taking them there was a good idea? She sighed in frustration, and once they arrived she was allowed to be let out. The petals continued to fall, and she saw how some booths were overrun completely. "Stay here and I'll go look for Rachel."

"What the pit is that?!" Hot Shot's sudden shout startled her, and she whirled around but saw nothing.

A blue powder fell on the ground, and Alexis's eyes drooped as she collapsed to her knees. She collapsed to the ground, but her gaze caught the sky, and yet she could see nothing up in the air.

And then her eyes closed completely as she fell asleep.

* * *

Rad looked wildly from side to side, his eyes peeled but he couldn't sense getting any closer to the source of the petals. Maybe he was too worked up, but he couldn't bring himself to calm down. This was turning into a storm, and everywhere he looked booths were getting flooded and people were running under the emergency tent.

 _'Where, where, where-'_ Rad's mantra stopped as he finally let himself get another thought in. _'I can't do this with worrying about everyone.'_ he reached into his pocket, and ducked around another booth. He tossed a card into the air, and the circle appeared under him as the card stayed in mid-air. "Let's have everyone take a nap, Sleep!"

The spirit flew out of the card, wand at the ready as he saw her float along the sky, blue powder falling in her wake. Rad sighed in relief, but stiffened when just as he heard vehicles pulling in, he saw Optimus' trailer. He paled when Alexis got out of the cabin.

"What the pit is that?!" Rad's eyes widened at Hot Shot's shout. Alexis staggered as Sleep's powder fell over her, and she drifted off to sleep.

The Autobots, who were clearly covered in it as well, did _not_. Sleep looked confused, and tried to sprinkle more powder on them, but let out a silent shriek when they transformed. She flew off rapidly, and Rad's hand dug painfully tight into the wooden pillar of the booth. He caught Sleep's card when she flew in beside him, and he pocketed her.

This was bad.

"Red Alert, is Alexis still alive?" Optimus questioned.

The medic leaned down, and scanned her. "Vitals are steady, she's merely resting." his voice became strained. "I can't explain it though, how could this powder cause all these humans to just... _drop?_ "

"This...this is like when I was fighting the dragon!" Hot Shot shouted, looking at each bot desperately. "You have to believe I wasn't making up that something weird is going on!"

No one said anything, and Rad's stomach dropped. They weren't saying he was _wrong_ either.

"Sir, may I go off on my own? It would help to have recon." Sideways said, his tone even. Rad blinked, and furrowed his brow as he noticed that the petals falling had all turned yellow and red.

Optimus glanced over the fairground, and nodded. "Very well." Sideways saluted and transformed before taking off. "We should also look for the cause of this, but be careful. We don't know what's responsible."

Rad thought he heard Hot Shot mutter "Wisp" but couldn't be sure. His attention was instead turned to the mini-cons who hurried up to him. They were all incredibly anxious.

"I know, this isn't good." The blond said. "We should follow them though, just stay out of sight."

They warbled in agreement, and the group followed after the Autobots.

* * *

Though he knew the humans were alive...it was still freaky just seeing them all _lying there_ , unmoving. A shiver went up Hot Shot's spinal strut. What was that thing? It was small and blue, but he hadn't gotten a good look at it. Was it the Wisp? Did it come back to screw with his head again?

At least this time the other Autobots _finally_ weren't just humoring him. They'd all seen that blue thing, it left behind a tangible powder. Even Red Alert couldn't explain it!

Now there was just the cause of the petal storm to find, and he swatted away the petals which had turned from pink to yellow and red not long after they'd arrived. Optimus was being stoic as usual, with Red Alert following closely beside him, while Hot Shot and Smokescreen were looking around the area.

The yellow mech didn't know where Sideways went off too, but at least he was taking this seriously.

A bright glow from the center of the fair caught his attention, and Hot Shot's optics zoomed in on the ball of light, where inside twirling around in place was what appeared to be a young woman. "S-sir, over there!" he said, bring not only Optimus' attention to the woman, but the others as well.

The young woman had pale, borderline off-white skin that faintly glowed, with pink hair and two large corkscrew curls on the sides of her head. A light pink flower pattern was on her forehead and her chest. She wore a pink dress that had a large poofy hoop skirt, and on her outstretched arms her wrists had flower bracelets on them with similar flowers dangling from her ears.

She didn't notice them, as her eyes were shut and she was flicking her hands to and fro, red and yellow flowers pouring from her palms that blew in the wind. She twirled, her feet gliding on the ground and a wide smile was on her lips.

Hot Shot stared, unable to understand the thrumming that started in his spark, or why his tank churned. Was this vindication or something else? He wasn't sure, but what he _was_ certain of was how much prettier this strange creature was than the dragon.

And not trying to kill him, but he digressed.

"What...what is that?" Smokescreen's incredulous voice snapped Hot Shot out of his daze, but not before being taken in by how when the young woman's eyes opened, her deep green orbs struck him silent.

Maybe not vindication, but something definitely fluttered in his spark. What was going on?

The woman's gaze slid over the group in confusion, but when her eyes landed on Hot Shot, a rosy pink hue colored her pale cheeks and a shy smile tugged at her lips. She did a final spin, and floated along the ground towards them, gracefully sidstepping any booth in her path. Amazingly, the closer she got, flowers swirled around her and in one slow movement, she grew from human-sized to just around Hot Shot's height.

"This-how is this possible?" Red Alert questioned, as though he was trying to wrap his processor around this defiance of physics.

Hot Shot was too stunned to soak in proving once and for all that _something_ weird was going on, and his spark nearly broke out of its casing when the woman reached forward and tugged him along with her. She was astonishingly strong, as the yellow mech needed to scramble to keep from falling.

Hot Shot grew bemused when the woman wrapped one arm around his neck, and he began to fall into a dance with her. Maybe this was joy, as he hadn't felt this great since Wheeljack had been alive. "This is nice but...what are you? You're not some hallucination we're all having are you?"

The woman only smiled.

* * *

Rad stared incredulously, and his fingers were sloppy in dialing home, but unable to look away from watching Hot Shot and the Sakura Card dancing. Not even the other Autobots knew how to react, and the blond was glad he'd had the foresight to use Sleep on the normal people.

" _What is it, Rad?"_

"Kero, has-has something weird ever happened with the cards before?" Rad asked. "Like, I don't know, being strange around someone?"

"Yes." Kero answered flatly. "Why, what's going on?"

"Well, everything was going fine at the fair, but then all these pink petals began falling, and they just turned red and yellow!" Rad exclaimed. "What card can do that?"

" _Tell me, is it a woman wearing a pink dress, with corkscrew curls?"_

"Yeah."

"Her name's Flower," Kero sounded bored, "she's a gentle spirit. Just get her away from the fair and whoever she's got a crush on. I don't want another Mirror thing happening."

Rad blinked at the mention-there was a Mirror card? But aside from that, the blond was uneasy to explain himself. "That's gonna be kind of hard, since she looks pretty attached to Hot Shot."

" _WHAT?!"_ Kero shouted and Rad jerked away from his phone, but Kero's loud voice still rang loudly through. " _She's with that tin can? This is bad, this is real freaking bad! Get her away from him now before our secret's blown!"_

 _'Our?'_ Rad thought indignantly, but sighed deeply. "That's not going to be easy, but I'll give it my best shot." he ended the call, and looked back at High Wire and the other mini-cons. "You'd all better get out of here, but don't you worry, everything will be alright."

 _"You'd better keep **this** promise."_ High Wire said morosely. He pulled Rad in for a hug before he led his fellow mini-cons away.

Rad bit his lip, and narrowed his eyes. Now, how to go about this. His eyes widened when Optimus, seemingly tired of his soldier being twirled around, reached in when Flower turned and pulled Hot Shot out of her grasp.

Hot Shot dreamily shook his head. "Huh? What happened?"

"You've been vindicated, but you need to get that head back on your shoulders, mech." Optimus said.

Rad's stomach dropped as Flower's expression began to crumble. Her eyes prickled with tears and she held her chest. She gritted her teeth, shoulders shaking. The blond tensed as she narrowed her eyes, and the ground shook before several large flowers sprang out, curling and unfolding to reveal purple and red petals and a yellow center.

One flower spit out a thorn, and Rad's eyes widened as it grazed Optimus' arm, leaving a trail of acid that seared the red metal, and the ground the thorn hit fizzled the grass. Rad's jaw dropped, and the Autobots looked just as shocked.

"Mechs, fall back!" Optimus ordered. "We must lead her away from the humans!"

Rad clenched his fists. _'Gentle spirit my butt!'_

Now he had an angry card to deal with, this was just great.

* * *

"What the frag, what the frag!" Smokescreen chanted, and Hot Shot couldn't blame him for being shocked. He'd felt the same with seeing the dragon.

"Alright, you've been proven right," Red Alert said tersely, "what did you do with the dragon?"

Hot Shot's knee throbbed, and he would have made some snarky remark before. That is until he saw how the woman hurt Optimus. Not cool. "I just jumped on it and fought it. Don't know what happened-maybe some kind of timer ran out and it turned back into a card."

Optimus looked down at the cut along his shoulder. It wasn't spreading, but Hot Shot didn't doubt it hurt like scrap. Their leader looked around at the deserted area they'd fallen back too, away enough from the fair and the trees gave them some cover. "Autobots, split up and draw it's attention. The more we tire it, the better chance we'll have to defeat it."

Hot Shot grimaced, and nodded. "Right!" his agreement was echoed, and he broke left while the others scattered. He saw the woman gliding along the ground, those bizarre flowers flowing along on spidery vine legs. He aimed his blaster when she saw him, but as he looked at her hopeful face, the yellow mech gritted his denta and let his arm drop.

 _'Scrap, I can't do it.'_

A red laser shot one of the plants, where it singed and faltered before repairing itself. The woman looked up, a frown on her face. Smokescreen glanced at Hot Shot. "I got your back!"

Hot Shot almost smiled, but then he saw the other flower ready to shoot. "Watch out!" he yelled, and Smokescreen jumped out of the way as a thorn pierced the tree where he'd been standing. "Come on, let's keep going!" he shoved the orange mech to get him moving, and they ran further into the forest.

When he felt himself freeze up, his body unable to move, his spark dropped. What was happening _now?_

* * *

Rad looked over his cards, pacing back and forth as he tried to formulate a plan. One wrong step and the Autobots would see _him_ using magic. That would take more time to deal with than just Flower. _'I can't Wood to restrain them, they could break out of it, Sleep doesn't work and I don't exactly want to use Sweet to stick them to the ground. How can I make sure they don't move?_ ' His eyes roved over Shadow, and he sighed heavily.

Worth a shot. Rad tossed Shadow into the air, and he pointed his wand at him. "Make sure the Autobots can't move, Shadow!" The card's form slithered along the ground, breaking into five parts, with four going into the forest and the other through the fair.

Rad gulped when he thought of those alien flowers and their acid stingers, but his fingers gripped his wand tightly and he saw Flower herself looking around the edge of the forest. "Hey!"

Flower looked up, and she tensed, the flowers at her side writhing angrily. Her brows furrowed, but slowly relaxed and tilted her head.

Rad wasn't instantly attacked, so he gestured to the area. "Did you do this?" She nodded. "Why?" When she pointed at him, Rad's face paled. "Because of me? Wh-what did I do?"

She stared into his eyes, and Rad felt the surge of power like with what happned between him, Dash and Glow. Rad tentatively let her in, and he felt an overwhelming desire to please, of hoping to be good enough. Flower had seen how sad he and Rachel were about the fair needed a...flair, and wanted to help, to make people happy and have fun.

Rad sagged in on himself as she retreated, and breathed in slowly. "So that's why." he smiled, hoping it was disarming. "And you got a crush on Hot Shot just from seeing him?"

Flower's cheeks turned pink, and she looked shyly down at the ground.

Rad slowly approached her, and made sure his movements were non-aggressive. "That's kind of cute." he said, and Flower tilted her head. "But I'm sure you know you can't just get mad when something you don't want to happens." Her cheeks puffed out and she looked away. "Look at it from Optimus' perspective; you were a strange entity that dragged his soldier off, he didn't know whether you would hurt him or not."

Flower jerked back, expression offended. Her shoulders sagged, and she frowned.

Rad knew he needed to be extra careful now. "I can't promise you'll see him soon, but you will meet Hot Shot again. Please," he held out his hand nervously, "and I know I'm not much, but I'll dance with you."

Flower stared down at him, and slowly she shrank until she was around Rachel's height. She grabbed his hand, and smiled gently, sadly. She didn't pull him in, and Rad froze when she began to glow and her whole form shrank to the point he was holding, revealing a pink card with Flower smiling serenly on the face, eyes closed.

Rad blinked. _'The...cards can seal themselves?'_ he thought in disbelief. He furrowed his brow when Shadow returned to him, and his eyes widened. _'Oh no, the Autobots are gonna be coming out soon.'_ he pocketed both cards and shrank his wand as he hurried to a stall. Rad laid on the ground, and closed his eyes as he heard the sound of someone approaching. He tried not to give himself away when his shoulder was shaken. "Hmm? Huh?" he 'sleepily' opened his eyes, and saw Mirror kneeling beside him, Sideways' motorcycle no where in sight.

The mini-con didn't say anything, and Rad 'groggily' got up.

"Where's Sideways? I thought you two were attached or something?" Rad asked.

Mirror stared at him, visor reflecting the blond's confused expression, and the mini-con pointed over to a motorbike circling around the fairground before it came to stop beside them.

"Ah, you're alright." The bot said. "I couldn't go through the center easily, so I sent Mirror to check on you. You're not hurt are you?"

"Yeah," Rad answered, and knew he needed to play along with being 'asleep,' "but the last thing I remember is this weird blue powder falling from the sky and then it was lights out. Do you know what happened?"

Sideways was silent for a moment. "Something...odd." he said eventually.

"Really?" Rad said in wonder, and hoped it was convincing. He noticed the other Autobots come out from the forest, and smiled. "Hey-what happened to your shoulder?!" he didn't have to fake the concern at least as he looked at Optimus.

The Autobot leader touched the seared edges of the cut. "I will be fine, what about you?"

"Oh, I'm alright. I was just sleeping." Rad pretended to notice everyone else was still asleep like it was the first time. "This is so strange."

"It's been that kind of day." Smokescreen agreed. Red Alert nodded, but didn't say anything.

Hot Shot was frowning, and Rad guessed it was about Flower. "Glad to see you're okay, Rad."

The blond beamed at him. "Of course I am." he made a 'shooing' motion with his hands. "Though wouldn't want your secret blown."

"Yes, but we still need to be vigilant-that strange woman may have left, but she could reappear." Optimus said. "Please be safe, Rad."

The blond rubbed his neck. "You got it!" he grinned, and waited until the Autobots were out of sight before the smile slipped into a frown, and he called home. "Kero, we have a problem. The Autobots are going to be on the look-out for Flower, and they could find more Sakura Cards. This secrecy needs to end-we trust the mini-cons, what's so different about the Autobots?"

 _"High Wire is a blabber mouth, that's what! He told those other little robots when he shouldn't have!"_ Kero retorted fiercely.

Rad sighed heavily. "Look, we can either tell them and work _with_ them, or we can be found out and I lose their trust."

 _"They're not gonna trust you anyway."_ Kero said grumpily.

Rad rubbed his brow. It was talking to a brick wall. " _I_ trust them, they're my friends. And these cards _are_ dangerous-they can help me with subduing them. And it's not like you're exactly forthcoming; you didn't even mention the cards could reseal _themselves_."

Kero was silent for a long time. " _One, you can tell_ one _of those tin cans. We'll...see how it goes from there."_

It wasn't much, but Rad admitted it was better than nothing. And he knew just the bot to tell. "We tell Hot Shot, he's been the most affected. I hate lying to him, thinking that he's going crazy because of _us_."

" _Fine."_ Kero bit it out sullenly, and ended the call.

Rad ran a hand through his hair, and put his phone away. At least they were getting somewhere now.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Just a short thing, but Mirror the mini-con and Mirror the _card_ are two completely different things. I just wanted to say this because Sideways' mini-con was never named in the show, and I didn't want things to be confusing.**


	21. Chapter 20: Shielding Ourselves

**Chapter 20: Shielding Ourselves**

 _(Alternative Title: A Much Needed Talk )_

* * *

Rad tapped his foot, frustration creasing his forehead. Kero had his arms stubbornly crossed as he floated in front of him. High Wire stood off to the side, glancing back and forth between them. "It's Saturday, we've been talking about this for nearly a week; no more stalling, we tell Hot Shot _today."_

Kero scowled at him. "We can't go into this without a plan."

"Why not? I've gone into pretty much every card hunt winging it." Rad retorted.

"And how many times did you almost get hurt?" Kero retorted.

 _"It's not like you're giving Rad all the pieces! You didn't even tell him that the cards could reseal themselves!"_ High Wire shouted, which Rad relayed and it made Kero's wings flap rapidly.

"Rad's not ready!" he snapped. "And I thought since Windy resealed _herself_ that it was obvious!" he snapped, a snide tone in his voice. Kero winced when Rad flicked the guardian on the forehead, causing the plush lion to glare at him.

Rad glowered back. "I'll say it again, why aren't I ready? Am I gonna lose my mind? Is the cost for failing to capture the cards going to be so bad?"

Kero's wings held still, and he frowned at the ground. He was silent for a long time, and when he spoke, his voice was quiet. "Okay, we can tell Hot Shot today."

Rad blinked, but knew a carrot when he saw it. Kero was too adamant on keeping certain things hidden after all. _'Is getting the stick worse?'_ he thought, but whether this 'surrender' was merely a bribe, the blond couldn't give up his 'win.' "Good, just hope Rachel will let me go today."

"Let _us_ go today." Kero corrected, and Rad felt another arguement coming on.

He had no patience for it though, and grabbed another hoodie. He pulled the yellow sweater over his head and caught High Wire looking at him, his emotions confused. Rad smiled weakly. "No point in fighting this one; Kero's gonna need to help me talk to Hot Shot."

"Yeah, and maybe then he'll give back Create." Kero muttered.

High Wire glared at the guardian, who fluffed the hood and nestled into the material. _"Yeah, because it's Hot Shot's fault that Create hates Rad."_ If the mini-con had eyes, Rad was sure he'd be rolling them.

The blond though decided _not_ to translate it, because again, he didn't want another argument to break out. Rad made sure to collect his phone, key and cards, and both he and High Wire made their way out of the room, and in the kitchen Rachel was helping herself to a cup of coffee.

She looked better lately-much more than when he first observed her; Rachel's hair was neat and combed into a low ponytail, and the bags under her eyes faded and she didn't appear as haggard and tired. She smiled at him, and pulled a cheque out of her pocket. "Guess what came in the mail yesterday." She looke pleasantly surprised. "Aunt Cindy must have thought with Mother's Day coming up next week she's giving us a hint," she smiled, mischievous but her eyes were sad; Rad winced-Rachel would be missing next Sunday for her dig, "I-I started making a list of what I need to buy though; anything you'd like to add?"

Rad thought of Kero, and decided to throw out his own carrot, trying with all his might not to remember _he_ hadn't even realized Mother's Day was next week. "Those mini-cupcakes, Ms. Jay's are great, but store bought will last longer."

"I'll let it slide this time, but you can't keep eating all the sugary stuff. Don't think I haven't noticed the ice cream's almost gone." Rachel said, her tone reprimanding but her eyes gentle once more.

Rad though resisted flinching. _'Dang it, Kero. What happened to not being conspicuous?'_ he thought, and tried to think of a non-awkward way of bringing up the Autobot base. "So, I know my ban from television is over, which is gonna make me asking this weird, but can we go to the Autobot base?" Okay, so that failed.

Rachel briefly glanced at him, humming as she wrote something down on a notepad from her pocket. "Yeah, I gotta talk to them anyway. Since I'm going on my final exam trip next week I have to get things in order."

Rad didn't bother to hide his wincing this time. He didn't think the exam would be so _soon_ , and the thought of Rachel leaving like his parents made his chest feel hollow. _'No,'_ Rad reassured himself, _'Ray isn't like them, like her own parents. She'll come back-she'll back to me._ '

It might have been his own choice to stay, but that had been born from the deep rooted desire to _have_ a home.

"Like-like what?" The blond asked, grimacing at how sullen he sounded.

Rachel might have seen it as petulant and childish, as she smiled slyly. "Gotta grow up some time." she teased him. "Though enjoy the time you got left." her smile became strained as she ran a hand over her hair. "Soon you'll be looking for colleges and making resume's before you know it."

Rad bit his lip, because dang if there wasn't some fear of that 'soon'. He had enough to deal with, what would Rachel say if he told her he was already doing a job? _'Tell Hot Shot first, then the rest of the Autobots, convincing Kero to let me tell Alexis and Carlos, and_ then _tell Rachel.'_

Long, daunting list, but he just needed to take it one step at a time.

Finishing off her coffee, Rachel grabbed her keys and headed for the door. "Let's head out, I'll call Hot Shot to see if he can give us a lift-he must be getting edgy being cooped up."

Rad nodded absently, and waited until High Wire transformed into his bike mode before wheeling him out.

Rachel furrowed her brow as once she locked the door, her eyes landed on Rad's hood. "Be careful with your plushy, you don't want it to fall out."

Rad nodded a touch more rapidly. "Right, I know." he rushed out, and made sure to lag just a step behind his cousin so she didn't get another look at Kero. He didn't want her to see him if the guardian happened to shift positions.

When they got into the elevator, Rad still made sure to stay behind her right up until they got outside, because he stopped as abruptly as her. Rad blinked as he found Sideways parked on the sidewalk in front of the building, the mini-con rider tilting his head at them, hologram firmly in place.

"Wow, you psychic or something?" Rad chuckled to break the ice, but while Rachel rolled her eyes, High Wire was miffed.

"What are you doing here?" Rachel asked, not hosile but still stern.

"Just in the neighbourhood, cruising around," Sideways said, his tone laid-back, "you know, just- _you know_."

Rachel raised a brow, but sighed. "Right." her voice was perplexed, and Rad was just as confused. "Though it does help that you're here; you don't mind being a cab back to the base do you?"

"Nah, it's fine." Sideways replied. "Hop on."

Rad grinned and sprinted over to the motorbike and climbed onto the back, wrapping his arms around Mirror. It was still weird to experience the disconnect that he _saw_ the biker uniform, but _felt_ the metal he was holding onto. He blushed when he noticed Rachel's bewildered stare and High Wire's hurt feelings. "I just think the motorcycle is cool."

Rachel huffed. "Long as you don't think about getting an _actual_ one."

Rad smiled cheekily at her. "Not likely; High Wire's my one and only."

Rachel snorted, but High Wire preened, projecting happiness and sheepish surprise. Rad blinked when beneath him the 'motorbike' slightly kick back.

And when Sideways began to gun his engine and started forward, Rad waved to Rachel. "See you there!"

"Hold on tight!" Rachel yelled, hands cupped around her mouth. Rad laughed, but tightened his arms around Mirror.

Wind blew around Rad's hair, and he felt Kero's hands holding onto the back of his neck, so he almost missed what Sideways said,

"Where'd that pink stick go? I assumed it was important to you, like that yellow doll you have."

Rad's mind blanked. Thoughts kicked into overdrive, responses tossed around his head as he tried to come up with a reply. "Well...my _doll_ is travel size, and I was only doing a-a-a magic trick." he smiled nervously. "It didn't end well, since I took my mind off it by touring an old building."

"I see." The tone was unreadable, but then the yellow and purple robot's voice turned thoughtful. "Strange things you humans indulge in."

Rad shrugged awkwardly. "I guess." he muttered, but he wasn't sure he was heard over the engine. He glanced back and found Kero still holding on tight and the hands cluthed tighter at his neck, but the irritating sting didn't keep Rad from focusing on the rapidly approaching town line, with the forest and mountain closing in. "I thought you already toured the town though?"

"I did, but can't a mech want to see it again?" Sideways questioned.

"Oh, I suppose so." Rad replied, and blinked when he saw Mirror glancing back at him, and smiled slightly. "High Wire said you're kind of tall, so I was wondering how that happened?" his smile faltered as the mini-con didn't reply, and stared back ahead. "Ah, I said something wrong, didn't I?"

"Don't take it personally, Mirror doesn't talk to anyone else." The yellow and purple bot explained, but there was an odd pause. "Though since you're not linked-up with him I assume you couldn't understand him anyway."

Rad glowered, but tried to remind himself not to be upset; Sideways _didn't_ know he could understand the mini-cons. He furrowed his brow though, as when Mirror tightened his fist on the handlebar, Rad thought something was missing. _'Maybe it'll come to me later, right now I have to find out how hard it's gonna be to talk to Hot Shot.'_

"How are things at the base? It feels like forever since I've been there." Rad said, and he glanced back to find High Wire was driving Rachel towards the mountain. The blond though realized it likely _had_ been forever, or at least almost a week since he hadn't gone back to the base at all for fear of guilt because of what happened at the fairground with Flower.

"Things have been...hectic, I think is the right word." Sideways said. "Due to the the bizarre occurences which happened on Tuesday, Red Alert and Optimus have been on the look out for any strange energy signatures. Those other two kids came by earlier and were hanging out with Smokescreen last I saw, but that green-haired...girl has been almost completely absent. Hot Shot's practicing with the Star Saber, since he still can't go on missions just yet," his voice lowered, and the engine quieted to allow his tone to become conspiratorial, "though it's probably for the best since he still hasn't gotten the hang of _holding_ the sword let alone swinging it."

Rad found himself snickering before he could stop himself. He cleared his throat. "Maybe, but he got a good swing at Megatron from what I heard. Pretty awesome for a newbie."

"That's right, the Autobots share everything with you all." Sideways replied, his tone surprised as if he just realized it. "It seems to be one way of earning trust, isn't it? I'm afraid I'm not much of a social mech myself, so I hope I don't come across as shifty." he added, his tone somewhat embarrassed.

Rad's lips curled into an understanding smile. "It's okay, being private doesn't make you bad." his smile widened into a grin and he reached forward to briefly grip the motorbike's handle bar beside Mirror's hand. "You saved my life, that makes you cool in my books."

"Yes, as if I couldn't tell by how much you've tried to show your friends I'm not scary." Sideways drawled.

Rad flushed, glowering as he sniffed. "Last time I try to be nice to you then." he softened his tone to show no hard feelings though. His eyes scanned ahead, seeing the blur of Kelly's home as they passed it and the mountain trail they drove on. "Any new mini-cons show up yet?"

"None so far, it's been quiet out there." Sideways said.

Rad nodded, and glanced back to see Rachel and High Wire were still trailing after them. His eyes looked back ahead and he bit his lip. He found himself thinking of what was next week, and even more guilt gnawed at him. "I was wondering, since I don't know much about Cybertron and it might be silly to ask, but do you have families-or, er, family ties?" his cheeks flushed red, right down to his neck.

The robot was silent for a long time, long enough for Rad to believe he wasn't going to answer until he nearly jumped when he did just that. "We do; perhaps a bit... _inappropriate_ to talk about the details, but yes, we can have families. I...I don't know where he _is_ , but I have a brother. What about you?"

Rad blinked, furrowing his brow as Sideways' question was a bit too quick to change the subject. He couldn't fault him, since it didn't sound like a pleasant conversation waiting to happen. "No, only child. I had my friends growing up, but Rachel was, well, like my big sister. I-I'd forget sometimes she wasn't, and," Rad grimaced, "I'd throw tantrums because she'd tried to go home."

"Interesting." Sideways said, but his tone was so even that Rad didn't know where that comment fell on the good-bad spectrum. "I know someone like you; who cared a lot about his...sister, but then just didn't." he added, his tone flat on the final word, sending a startled jolt through Rad.

The blond frowned. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Only giving you a warning, because other priorities can get in the way. I'd hate to see that happen to you, being forced to choose between your cousin and something else." Sideways replied.

Rad bit his lip, guilt already eating away at him. Wasn't he already doing that? His eyes narrowed. _'No, I'm not choosing the cards over Ray, I'm just doing this behind her back.'_ Which wasn't any _better_ , but he could only hope that he was making the right choices now. "I-I'd pick Ray."

Sideways had detected his stumble though, and his question nudged at it. "Are you sure? What if it was something big?"

Rad opened his mouth, but found nothing coming out. He couldn't form the words, couldn't even think of a comeback. His jaw snapped shut, and his stomach churned as he realized he couldn't give a solid answer. He wanted to say, _I'm sure_ , but something kept him back. Thoughts of his parents flashed through his mind, and a deep sense of shame welled up inside of him-they weren't even a factor.

And he hated that feeling.

He was grateful to have his mind taken off the dark train of thought by the sight of the cave entrance they pulled up to, and Rad hopped off the seat to let Sideways and Mirror transform. He glanced out from the corner of his eye as Rachel and High Wire pulled up, with the blonde doing the same as him, and High Wire looked up at the purple and yellow bot before quickly averting his gaze.

Sideways didn't notice-or pretended not to-as his optics were locked on Rachel. "You're the other humans' keeper, aren't you? I feel like I should inform you they're here too."

Rachel's eyes widened, and her lips pulled into a frown. "I don't believe this," she muttered, storming her way into the base, "but at least they're using the buddy system."

Rad furrowed his brow, and wondered if Rachel was more tightly wound due to the depth of what she needed to ensure got done. ' _It's still a week away, why is she so worried?'_ Perhaps though his own wishing for her _not_ to leave had him blinded by the significance. Or it was just another one of those 'adult' worries he dreaded having.

He jumped slightly when something bumped his arm, and he found High Wire was nudging him towards the entrance. "Right, almost forgot." he muttered, but paused when the sound of the mini-con alarm echoed from inside the base. Nervousness rose in his heart. "Sideways, do you know if Hot Shot is going with you on the hunt?"

"Beats me, but I'd better hurry up and get with the team." The purple bot said before making his way inside.

Rad nodded belatedly, and clutched at the key around his neck for a moment. He glanced at Kero, who caught his eye. The blond sighed deeply, reassuringly, and sprinted through the base. He entered the control room in time to catch sight of the doors sliding close to the warp gate room. Relief flooded sharply when he saw Hot Shot was still present, though there was a sullen look on his face. _'I shouldn't be happy he's stuck here.'_ he reminded himself.

Rad fell in line beside Grindor and Sureshock, both of whom seemed smug and amused. "You warned them about coming without supervision, didn't you?" he kept his voice low enough that his friends didn't hear, and as such both mini-cons only nodded.

Alexis was rubbing her arm sheepishly, but Carlos had his crossed and his expression was indignant.

"It's not like you're our babysitter still." he muttered.

Rachel narrowed her eyes. "Tell that to your parents' date night this Tuesday."

Carlos huffed, scowling. "I'm old enough be home by myself. I got Grindor for company anyway."

Rad found himself frowning before he realized it. Rachel mirrored his expression. Growing up, being _alone_ was the problem. He'd have given anything to have his parents' attention before tunnel vision for their next dig set in. He spent too much time stuck in a room with little else to do but throw a ball at a wall.

"Yes, you do." Rachel said quietly. "Still, it's not like you can just tell them that." Carlos 'hmmph'ed.

Alexis stepped forward when the hologram girl appeared at the base of the computer. The screen showed Laserbeak was flying high in the air, revealing it was night time where the mini-con had activated. "I was wondering, do you have a name?" The green-haired girl stared at her, and Rad jolted when he realized they _still_ didn't know what to call her.

"No." The girl said, her expression flat. "I am only the digitized personality imprint of the human girl I was..." she trailed off, a strain in her expression. "I'm-I'm no longer a person, therefore I do not have a name."

Carlos stiffened up, and his fists balled up. "That's not true!" he said vehemently. "You care and think, so you need a name."

The green-haired girl frowned. "I'm only an illusion..." she sighed, and Rad was startled to hear how staticky it was.

"No, Carlos is right," Rachel said, and the brunet beamed, "you need a name. It doesn't matter that you're digital."

The girl's eyes were widening slowly, as if it barely occured to her that people would disagree. Rad didn't know how long she'd been alone to come to think that way. "I...I wouldn't even know what to call myself. I-I can't recall what I was called in life."

Alexis coughed, her cheeks flushed as she unslung her backpack from her shoulder and pulled out her tablet. "Well, I hope you don't mind, but I thought you might have...memory problems in your hardrive, so I picked out a few names you might like." she held out her mini-computer, screen up as she ducked under the girl's stare.

For a long moment, the green-haired girl's eyes were locked on the screen. Slowly, an ironic smile crossed her lips. "So Maya means illusion," she whispered, and nodded to herself, "then you may call me Maya."

"Are you sure? What if you don't like it?" Carlos asked worriedly.

The newly dubbed Maya furrowed her brow slightly. "Then I will simply need to adjust to it, but I cannot think of a name that would so perfectly fit."

Rad bit his lip, a sting at the back of his neck as Kero pinched his skin. The guardian gritted his teeth as he kept his voice to a low hiss.

"Ask her about Clow."

Rad blinked, and he furrowed his brow. He _was_ curious, but he wasn't going to just blurt it out. "Maya, what was your civilization like?"

The green-haired girl glanced off into space, her eyes holding a far-away stare. "Well, we were a peace and philosophical people...at first," she muttered that bit, "but we had always been looking to the stars, to learn more of the world. It was that curiosity which led us to finding the mini-cons that formed the Star Saber, and from the remains of technology they had been found with, we gleaned what we could and made ourselves more advanced than what humanity had been at the time." she looked down at the floor, eyes downcast. "It's been five thousand years since then, and I see the world has changed so much than I could have thought."

"That long, huh?" Carlos asked mystified.

"Yes," Maya said quietly, "but perhaps if we had listened to him we could have avoided our fate."

Rad felt Kero stiffen, while everyone else looked confused. _'Here we go.'_ The blond thought. "He who?"

Maya sighed deeply, but even she seemed to realize how unecessary it was. "Clow Reed, the most powerful wizard in the world. It was so strange, how one day he just... _appeared_ ," she sounded bemused even now, "and he told us much about the world, about the stars-and much like the mini-cons, we used that knowledge for our own desire, to gain power." Her features twisted in shame, and Alexis bit her lip.

"I find it a bit hard to believe that just a worldly person could have been a wizard," she said, "since magic doesn't exist and all, but this does explain why the Star Saber mini-cons don't like you." Maya nodded grimly.

Rachel frowned. "Magic doesn't exist." she whispered, but it sounded like a reassurance.

It made Rad wince all the same. "What happened next?"

"Clow Reed was celebrated as a great scholar, but when we began to use the Star Saber for more...territorial purposes, he became furtive and distant. It was only near the end that my...alive self learned Clow had tried to warn our leaders about the danger of what we were doing. I...I do not think I need to elaborate that it did not end well for us anyway."

"No," Rad said, "but can I ask about Clow Reed's magic? Did you ever see him use it?"

Rachel sent him a wide-eyed stare, but there was a balefulness in them. Rad understood it as her 'this does not compute' glare. "Magic-"

"Yes." Maya said. Rachel's mouth snapped shut, and she turned a more incredulous gaze to the girl. "It was the last human memory I can recall. As our city burned, Clow Reed used his magic to make the Star Saber and the rival civilization's mini-con weapon to revert back to their dormant forms, and scattered them-but one. Even now I do not know what happened, or where he went. What I do recall is that he could wield his magic with these special cards he carried with him."

Hot Shot straightened up, his attention that had been split between the screen and Maya, was now completely on the girl. "Cards?" he echoed, and Rad knew where his thoughts were headed. "Were they pink?"

"No, they were red." Maya said, her brow furrowed in confusion. Hot Shot sighed, shoulders slumping. "Long and rectangular, with pictures of many things on them, but I can't recall one ever being pink. Why do you ask?"

"I-I just thought- never mind." Hot Shot muttered.

Rachel shook her head. "As fascinating this history lesson is, I still have things on my checklist to do." she said and pulled her notepad out of her pocket. "I can cross explaining the situation off."

"You did that in two minutes of yelling at Carlos and Alexis?" Rad asked in disbelief.

"I multi-tasked." Rachel said. "Now come on," she gestured to the entrance, "let's get going." she paused and bit her lip as she looked at Maya. "Do...you want people to know? My father's an archeologist, and so are Rad's parents-I'm sure we could convince them to take a look at the ocean where your ruins are."

Maya blinked, her eyes wide. It was the most vulnerable she looked. "You...you would do that?" Rachel nodded, and the green-haired girl gave another static-filled sigh, more relieved than worried. "Then yes, if you can manage it."

Rachel smiled. "I'll do what I can."

"Ray, could I stay behind just a bit longer? I got something important to talk to Hot Shot about." Rad said, nervous about being so close to the moment of truth.

Rachel gave him a scrutinizing stare. "If I do, you'd better come right back after you're done. No slacking off or I'll know."

"Because you're psychic?" Rad asked, knowing Rachel would take offense to it, and she scowled as expected.

"No, because High Wire will tell me." she huffed. "Now, don't make me tell you again." she said sternly.

Alexis and Sureshock followed after her, while Carlos grumbled but Grindor patted his shoulder.

 _"She_ _ **is**_ _the more wordly person here."_ he said soothingly, but Carlos just grumbled louder.

Rad waited until the footsteps faded, and he took a calming breath. "Hot Shot, the card you have...is-it used to be called a Clow Card, the same cards that Clow Reed used."

Hot Shot's optics grew wider, and he scrambled to take the pink card from his shoulder compartment. He looked incredulously down at it, then at Rad in disbelief. "How do you even know this?"

"I know because," Rad slowly pulled out the array of cards he had, holding them face out to let the pictures be seen, and winced when the yellow bot's optics seemed to lock onto Flower, "I have the same ones-only now they're called Sakura Cards."

"Amazing." Maya whispered. "They look so much like the cards he used."

Hot Shot shook his head, taking another step back as his frame began to shake. "This can't be, it's supposed to be a Wisp messing with me!" he reached up with his free hand to clutch at his head. "What is even going on?!"

Rad held the cards to his chest, once more feeling Create's judgemental gaze on him. "I'm sorry, and I know I can never say it enough to make it up to you."

"You lied to me!" Hot Shot snapped, and Rad flinched under the angry blue gaze. "You knew what this was and you didn't say anything-what kind of friend does that?"

Before Rad could say anything, Kero's voice cut him off.

"Hey, back off you rustbucket!" he flew up from Rad's hoodie, and zoomed around to stand between the blond and the yellow bot, who stared in disbelief down at the guardian. Maya looked just as stupified.

"What-what the slag are you?" Hot Shot sputtered.

"He's Kerberos, a guardian beast." Rad explained. "He came out a book that was in Rachel's attic, and he's supposed to be watching over the Sakura Cards."

"The cards you hold truly are those that Clow Reed used?" Maya asked.

"Yes." Kero answered instead. "He poured immeasurable magic into creating fifty-two cards called the Clow Cards."

"Fifty-two." Rad repeated. "So I guess something happened that cause them to be fifty-three?" Kero nodded, and the blond felt the weight of the mission fall on him. There were still so _many_ left. A hand landed on his shoulder, and the blond both saw and felt the reassurance from High Wire, who had clearly opted to be a silent observer. It did give Rad a bit of strength back. "After all the cards escaped, I was tasked with capturing them and-and that's how you ended up with Create."

Hot Shot stared at him with hard optics, and then at the card. "Rad, you let me think I was crazy, that everyone _else_ thought I was." he said, hurt lacing every word.

"I wanted to tell you, I never meant for this to happen." Rad said.

"Then why didn't you?" Hot Shot pressed.

"Because I told him not too!" Kero shouted. "If you want to blame someone, blame me! I'm the one who doesn't trust you and told him not to tell any of you giant mecha toys!"

"Toys?!" Hot Shot retorted, his expression twisted in offence.

"Yes!" Kero snapped. He crossed his arms, holding himself stiffly. "The mini-cons knowing was bad enough, and I didn't want to know what you Autobots would do if you knew about the cards."

"Mini-" Hot Shot's optics widened once more, and his shoulders tensed. "Jolt!"

Rad winced, and saw the helicopter mini-con wander into the room.

" _You bellowed?"_ Jolt asked sarcastically.

Hot Shot ignored it. "Jolt, did you know about these things called Sakura Cards? That I had one all this time?"

Jolt stared at him. " _Huh, so Rad's finally telling you. About time."_

Hot Shot sighed shakily, Create slipping from his fingers to waffle to the floor. He clutched the edge of the console, his entire form sagging as he just looked so defeated. Betrayed. Rad took a step forward, but High Wire kept him from going forward, and the mini-con shook his head.

 _"Don't, the last thing he'll want is to hear you."_ he said sadly. Rad bit his lip, and nodded. Even Maya stepped away from Hot Shot to give him space.

"All this time..." the yellow bot whispered. "All this time." he stiffened when slowly, Create glowed faintly and rose from the floor to waver in front of the mech. Hot Shot didn't even flinch when Create went back inside his shoulder compartment. An expression Rad had never seen crossed Hot Shot's faceplate; he looked bitter, and sad. "I guess I'm just suppose to be the universe's punching bag, since it's one shot after another it feels like."

Rad didn't know how to respond, do he stayed quiet.

A silence stretched over them, settling like a blanket.

And breaking the pause, was the Autobot leader's stern voice, "Hot Shot, I think we're going to need the Star Saber. There appears to be a strange dome over the mini-con. Nothing we have will get rid of it."

Rad's eyes widened, and he looked up at the console screen, showing Laserbeak's position above the group of Autobots that were standing in front of a mini-con who was tapping the green-blue and slightly opaque dome over it. "Kero, I thought you said the cards wouldn't go so far from town-that place looks too... _cliffy_ to be anywhere nearby."

"I know what I said." Kero muttered. "And given that this is Shield, I'm pretty sure it wants to protect the mini-con. No distance would matter to it."

"Hot Shot?" Smokescreen's voice sounded over the comm., more unsure. "You there, buddy?"

"Y-yeah." Hot Shot's fingers clenched the console tighter. "The footage just shocked me, like what happened at the fair." his voice grew quieter as he likely remembered Flower, and what she was.

"The Star Saber won't break the dome." Maya said, her eyes focused on the dome. "During the final fight between our civilizations, Clow Reed used one of his cards to create a shield the same colors as this one which stopped the Star Saber in its tracks. It didn't even scratch it."

"Great." Hot Shot muttered. "Just what we need."

Rad glanced down at the cards still in his hands, and he bit his lip. If the Star Saber could cut through anything except Shield...then what about a sword that might able too? "I know you have no reason to trust me anymore, but-but I have an idea."

Hot Shot's optics narrowed. "You're right, I don't trust you."

Rad winced, and High Wire's reassuring grip on his shoulder tightened. "Okay, I deserve that and so much more, but please, at least acknowledge the Decepticons finding out about the cards to be worse."

The blond couldn't forget what Cyclonus said, just _missing_ Glow but tracking a strange signal. "When I was kidnapped, Cyclonus told me he was looking for an energy reading; I don't doubt it was Glow-another Sakura Card-and it came so close to happening already."

Hot Shot gritted his denta, optics staring hard at the screen. His gaze narrowed, and his lips pressed into a tight line as he turned to look at Rad. "I'm still mad at you."

"And you have every right to be." The blond said.

"And you," Hot Shot scowled at Kero, "I don't like you."

The guardian stuck his tongue out at him. "Feeling's mutual, _pal."_

Hot Shot glared at Kero, but sighed in frustration. "Alright Rad, what's your idea?"

The blond bit his lip again, thumbs rubbing together nervously. "Well, I figured if you went out there with the Star Saber I could get Sword to embue it with its cutting power. You know-Sword and Shield, figured there really wasn't any better option right now." Rad hesitated, because this was the tricky part. "I'm not strong enough to use Sword from a distance, every time I've done it at close range...I need to go with you."

"What? No way!" Hot Shot retorted. "I'm mad at you, but I don't want you to die!"

"Listen tin can, Rad knows the risks of being a Cardcaptor." Kero said as he flew up to Hot Shot's level. "Why don't you stuff your self-righteousness and just listen to him?"

Hot Shot glowered at him. "I really don't like you."

High Wire crossed his arms. _"I finally have someone feel the same way about Kero I do, and I can't even enjoy it."_ he grumbled, but Rad definitely wasn't going to reply even if he could.

"Can we put this on hold right now?" Rad asked. "Each second is more time we lose before the 'Cons show up."

Hot Shot breathed in deeply. "Fine, but we're nowhere near okay." he said morosely, and glanced at the green-haire girl who'd stayed silent as she observed the scene. "Maya, fire up the ground bridge. Rad, go wait in the warp room-I gotta get the Saber Saber minis."

Rad nodded, and when both he and Hot Shot split, Maya glanced at Kero.

"Clow Reed never mention he made guardians." she said simply.

Kero crossed his arms. "Funny, he never mentioned your civilization either."

The girl nodded, and that was all which needed to be said.

* * *

Going through Hot Shot's processor were many thoughts, some angrier than the last. Hurt was a close second; weren't he and Rad friends? Why didn't he tell him the truth earlier? That plush doll said he told Rad he hadn't trusted them and that was why. That hurt just as much; Rad knew the rule was dumb and still followed it.

Hot Shot was trustworthy, wasn't he? He didn't follow orders as strictly as he should, but he'd never sell anyone out. He vented deeply as he transformed into vehicle mode, allowing the three Star Saber minis to climb into his cabin. They beeped and booped with each other, leaving him unable to understand them as they had opted _not_ to uplink with any of the Autobots.

The fact they knew when asking for them meant 'time to cut things' was a bit worrying though.

When Rad came into the warp room, a pink stick in hand and Kero floating alongside him and High Wire, the three mini-cons already in the cabin didn't even react. Hot Shot wondered if they were already told. Jolt wasn't going, because he'd kept this from him just like Rad did.

The boy glanced at High Wire. "If Rachel calls the base looking for me or shows up, can you try and make something up?" he asked, and High Wire nodded.

It made Hot Shot realize Rad hadn't told his cousin sink in-he really had kept it from them on purpose. If not for a slip, would the mini-cons even have known? No, probably not. "We'd better hurry."

Rad nodded and climbed into the passenger seat, placing the stick over his lap. A card slipped out from his pocket, the face revealing the woman he'd danced at the fair with. The card zipped around the interior of the cabin before flying back in front of Rad, soft blue ripples emitting from it. Rad's expression was downcast. "Now's not a good time to come out."

The card seemed to sink, before falling back into Rad's grasp.

The blond put the card back into his pocket before pulling out another one, this one with a thin sword covered in chains on the face of it. "Okay, we can go."

Hot Shot didn't reply as he gave Maya the all clear, causing the warp gate to light up. It showed the rocky night time area where the other Autobots were, and Hot Shot made his way through.

Once on the other side, Hot Shot opened his doors to let his passengers out, and transformed.

"Wait." Rad said suddenly, his expression worried as the three minis looked to form the sword halted. "I-I'm not sure how Sword's going to affect you," he winced, something guilty in his features, "or, I'm not sure how Sword's going to affect you now that it's been caught." he breathed in deeply. "It won't hurt you, so...please just let Sword do its job." And he really did looking pleading.

Hot Shot saw Jetstorm, Runway and Sonar all nod, no hesitation in their reply. The yellow mech wished he could be as certain, have as much _faith_ in Rad and these cards. "I...alright." he finally muttered, and glanced at the three mini-cons. "Time to form the saber." The trio nodded and in a flash of light, the Star Saber fell into Hot Shot's grasp, the laser coating appearing along the blade.

Rad tossed the card into the air, where it actually stayed in place above his head. He pointed the stick at it, the wings at the side of the circle glowing and expanding. When a golden circle appeared under Rad, Hot Shot couldn't stop himself from taking a step back in surprise. "Give Hot Shot and the Star Saber the ability to cut through anything in their way, Sword!"

The yellow mech flinched when he saw a ghostly shape of the sword on the face of the card melt into the Star Saber. His optics widened as a surge of power went through the blade, and it ran along his own frame. He twirled the sword in his grasp, his movements foreign yet familiar.

He wasn't clumsy, he actually felt refined holding this blade. Like he could actually use it.

"Rad, you'd better find a good place to hide." Hot Shot said.

The blond nodded, still subdued. "If you manage to cut through Shield, please keep the others from seeing Shield's card."

A new flare of anger roused. If, because this wasn't a garaunteed plan, and because Hot Shot was being asked to pull one over on his comrades. "I'd tell you forget it, but I'm too mad to argue."

Rad slumped over, his grip tight on his staff. He nodded without a word, and slipped off to one of the rock crevices.

Hot Shot glanced up, his optics managing to catch sight of Laserbeak flying overhead. They'd probably have to deal with the video feed being recorded too. Great. His audios picked up the sound of a rock being kicked, and his servo tightened around the Star Saber's handle. Alertness surged to the forefront of his mind, but he relaxed when the purple and yellow frame came around the bend beside him. "Oh, hey, Sideways. Thought you were a 'Con for a second."

Sideways chuckled quietly, lowering his arm cannon. "Feeling was mutual, but I am glad to see it's you." he tilted his head slightly. "Think you can get rid of this dome?"

Hot Shot grinned, calling on his acting skills to make sure nothing seemed off about him. "You bet I can!"

"Then come on, everyone's over here." Sideways said, and Hot Shot trailed after the other mech for some twenty feet. They weaved through jutting rocks, and the yellow mech would catch flashes of blond hair as Rad was forced to follow them. Hot Shot in turn had to steer into the boy's line of sight to keep Sideways from spotting him.

Once they turned at a steeper cliff that seemed to go up into the clouds for miles, Hot Shot found the rest of the Autobots standing around the opaque dome. He held the sword against his shoulder. "Guess who's here to save the day?"

Smokescreen smiled at him, light and teasing. "Getting a bit ahead of yourself, aren't you?" Hot Shot huffed.

Kneeling next to the dome, Red Alert was scanning it as the mini-con was now sitting on the ground, beeping and drawing circles into the dirt. "This sphere would be amazing if it weren't so infuriating." The medic said. "It matches the signal of the previous energy readings we found, but my scanners aren't registering the mini-con at all."

Hot Shot furrowed his optic ridges. The mini-con wasn't showing up? "The alarm went off though."

"Perhaps the dome appeared after the alarm sounded, but before we came across the mini-con." Optimus said. He vented heavily. "These strange energy signatures are an unknown factor, and we have no idea how dangerous they are-to the humans and to us."

Hot Shot grimaced as the image of Optimus' seared plating flashed through his processor. It had been a shock to the system, especially now when he could still see the white lining where Red Alert had patched up the tear. "Step back and let me do my thing."

Red Alert snorted lightly, but stepped away from the dome. Smokescreen and Optimus did the same, and Hot Shot walked up to the dome. He glanced to his side and made sure they wouldn't see the card.

"Make sure you remember to swing down." Red Alert said dryly.

"Ha, real funny." Hot Shot retorted.

The mini-con got to its pedes, standing to the side of the dome as the yellow mech raised the Star Saber.

A sharp _shing_ shot through the air, and Hot Shot felt his body move as a shot came close to shooting him in the shoulder. His optics widened; was it him or Sword that just moved? Right now he didn't know and as he whirled around, his spark pulsed. _'Scrap, 'Cons.'_ He didn't need this right now.

Optimus shot the yellow mech a quick glance. "Get that barrier down and we can get out of here."

Hot Shot gritted his denta, his optics glancing at where he'd last seen Rad hiding. Scrap. "Alright." he gritted out, and turned back to the dome while the other Autobots went to fight the Decepticons. He rose the blade again, but the flash of red made him jump back and scowl as Starscream's swing missed him narrowly.

The seeker sneered at him. "Hello, little Autobot; do you even know how to wield that sword?"

Hot Shot glared at him, his grip tightening on the hilt. "I knew enough to send Megatron packing."

Starscream jerked his chin up, a haughty look on his faceplate. "Beginner's luck, you have no idea how truly difficult it is to master a blade."

"You did." Hot Shot retorted, and smirked when the seeker's frame tensed.

"I will make you regret those words." he said. "There's no one here to protect you now."

Hot Shot narrowed his optics, the phantom aches of feeling his plating tear open echoing through him. "I don't need to be protected." he brandished the sword in front of him, the thrum of power flowing through him. Whether it was the Star Saber or Sword, he couldn't be sure, but he wasn't going to fight it.

Starscream narrowed his optics, but charged without a word. He swung his wing sword, and Hot Shot moved to block it, a strange disconnect as though someone else were in control of his body. Starscream pressed his sword in closer, and the yellow bot scowled at him as the seeker smirked. "What, no smart remarks?"

Hot Shot felt his body coil tight. "Just one," he hoped this gave Sword its cue, "you're done."

Springing forward, the Star Saber was angled down to come up in a slash that tore clean through Starscream's wing sword, with the seeker freezing as the laser blade was held inches from his throat. A shallow crack appeared on his chest plate, right in the spot that Hot Shot's own had been torn.

"Thought I'd return the favor." Hot Shot felt the words slip out, surprise pulsing through his spark. It didn't feel like _him_ talking, and when he realized he was smirking he couldn't stop that either.

Given their close proximity, trying to fire a shot would cause a huge backlash. Something Starscream also knew, as he scowled and a baleful glare appeared in his optics. "Don't think you're better than me."

Hot Shot felt his lips curl into a grin, and he wondered if this was Sword being offended by Starscream thinking he was a master swordsmech. "Bye now."

The seeker's scowl never left, even as he warped away. Hot Shot felt his limbs come back under his own control, and he hurried to the dome.

 _'No time to waste.'_ he thought, sliding around the dome, and in one motion the blade began to cut through the opaque. His optics widened as his grip slackened and the image of Sword appeared and disappeared just as quickly.

Then his gaze was cast onto to the ghostly form in front of him as the dome became a the image of a wing, with a tapered base that angled into three points and an orange gem in the center like a clasp. The image vanished, leaving a card in its place that floated into his grasp.

Venting, Hot Shot put Shield with Create, and turned his gaze to the mini-con. "Hey there."

The mini-con beeped, tilting their head. It's gaze shifted to somewhere behind him, and Hot Shot became very aware of the fact things had gone quiet. The yellow mech looked over his shoulder, but relief was sharp and clear as he saw there was no sign anyone had seen him.

"Hey, Optimus, Red, Smokescreen, Sideways, any of you still out here?" he called.

"There is no need to yell." Red Alert said as he returned with the others.

Smokescreen blinked when he saw part of a sword impaled on the ground, and then looked at Hot Shot. "No way, isn't that Starscream's sword?"

Hot Shot grinned. "Sure is, I caught him off guard and cut it in off. Had him on the ropes so he took off." he waited until the blade's laser coating disappeared before patting it. "This sword really can cut through anything, took one swing and the dome went poof."

"It's remarkable you were able to use the Star Saber so efficiently, given how...badly you're training with it has been." Red Alert said.

"Good job, Hot Shot." Optimus said, and Hot Shot beamed, saluting the mech.

"Thank you, sir!"

"Alright everyone," Optimus began, "let's head back to base."

"Sure thing, I'll get Laserbeak," Hot Shot said, "I think it got hit by a stray shot."

Optimus nodded, and he warped away, along with Red Alert and Smokescreen, who had went to retrieve the mini-con. Sideways stayed a moment longer, his gaze cast to the blade and then to Hot Shot before he too warped out.

Hot Shot let out a loud sigh of relief. "Laserbeak!" he yelled, and the drone came flying down. He caught it, and ejected the memory chip before crushing it. Hot Shot gave the slot a gentle denting, just enough to give the illusion of scruffing. "Rad, get out here, I need to talk to you."

Rad came out from his hiding spot, pink staff no where in sight but that wasn't the pressing concern. The blond tried to smile, but it came out a grimace. "You-you were awesome." Hot Shot stayed silent, and Rad winced. "What did you need to talk about?"

"Can these cards control people?" Hot Shot asked bluntly.

Rad flinched, panic on his face. "Sword did that? I thought you were just better at using the Star Saber than Sideways said." he rubbed his arm. "I guess that answers the question. I'm not really sure how anything works myself, it's mostly guessing and that's not fun."

Hot Shot frowned, but given how long they were taking, it wouldn't be good to be to sta out here and have anyone get suspicious. "Do you want Shield?"

Rad bit his lip. "Of course, but Shield chose you, even if you can't use it. I won't make a card come with me."

Given Create hadn't tried anything since it was with Hot Shot, the yellow mech hoped this meant they liked him enough to continue being calm. "When we get to base, I'm gonna make an excuse to go for a drive, and then I'm going to drop you off at your apartment, got it?"

Rad didn't argue, and he climbed into the cabin along with the mini-cons before Hot Shot warped them away.

* * *

Unbeknowst to anyone, a figure high above the battlefield stood in a dark cloak. They were a tall form, and when speaking, the voice had a metallic edge. "It seems things are more interesting on this planet than I initially thought."


	22. Chapter 21: The Big Picture Part 1

**Chapter 21: The Big Picture Part 1  
**

 _(Alternative Title: The One That Got Away)_

* * *

Rad stared at his lunch, the sandwich suddenly unappetizing as he couldn't get out of his head how Hot Shot had just dropped him off Saturday and left without a word. It had been three days, but guilt still gnawed at him. Kero certainly wasn't happy that Shield chose Hot Shot, but Rad was too upset to care.

"Hey, Rad?" The blond glanced at Carlos, who nudged him in the shoulder. "You've been looking kinda bummed out, something wrong?"

Rad opened his mouth, and the words came out before he could stop himself. "Ray's leaving Friday for her exam, and I have to go live with my aunt and uncle." He winced; it wasn't the other truth, but this had been bothering him too.

Alexis stiffened, her eyes widening. "What?" she whispered. "But-but she'll miss Mother's Day!"

Carlos let out a frustrated groan. "Get with the program, Alexis. Rad's got bigger things to do deal with; how's High Wire supposed to live with him? I hate Grindor being in the garage in my own house."

"Then it's a good thing Rachel's going to be watching you tonight and you can let him out." Alexis said, her expression deadpan.

Carlos scowled at her, and snorted. "You get this one."

Rad looked between his friends, smiling slightly but unable to commit to a full one. He chanced a bite out of his sandwich, and while the taste was dry and bland to him, he managed to eat at least a piece. He set his lunch back into its box, and blinked as he noticed Kelly walking up to them, her face flushing the closer she got to the bench the trio were sitting on. Rad glanced up at the sky; it wasn't particularly hot out, so what was wrong? "Hi, Kelly, are you okay?"

Kelly's flush went up to her hairline. She bit her lip briefly, hands tightening on the folded part of her paper bag. "I'm fine," she said curtly, "but I was wondering..." she faltered, but tensed up and marched on, "my aunt arrived last night. She's here to try and start up a dojo, and she said I could bring my friends along for a class."

Carlos crossed his arms. "Kinda hard to do since you don't have friends."

Kelly winced, and Alexis scowled, snapping, "Carlos!"

The younger brunette breathed in deep, and she glared fiercely at Carlos as well before nervously looking back at Rad. "So-so I was wondering if you'd like to go after school tommorow?"

Rad blinked, and he glanced away, his eyes scanning over the other kids shuffling around the schoolyard with their own lunches. "What does your aunt teach?"

Kelly rubbed the back of her neck, smiling shyly. "All kinds of things; she's an awesome black belt."

"Not to mention she doesn't keep from bragging about her next win." Alexis drawled. Kelly furrowed her brow, and Alexis bit her lip. "It would be nice to see her again though," she said thoughtfully, and smiled faintly, "okay, count me in."

Kelly nodded, and looked at Rad. The blond winced, seeing the hope in her eyes. It spoke to something deep inside him though, and he sighed quietly.

"Okay, I'll ask Ray." he said.

Kelly beamed, and in a flash she lunged forward to hug Rad. They both froze, but while Rad was more shocked, Kelly appeared a hairsbreath from fainting. "I-I have to go!" she rushed out, and all but sprinted away.

Rad furrowed his brow, and looked at Alexis who was staring wide-eyed and Carlos' jaw dropped. "Uh, she looked kinda sick. Is she gonna be okay?"

Alexis blinked rapidly, appearing dazed before shaking her head as she got up. "Probably," she crumpled her empty paper bag, "though I'd better go make sure she doesn't pass out. I'll see you later, or not." she shrugged awkwardly, and briskly trailed off to follow Kelly.

 _'I hope Kelly's okay.'_ Rad thought, and glanced at Carlos. "You thinking of going?"

"Nah, not really into martial arts." Carlos replied. "I'm gonna be a vet."

Rad blinked. "Don't you need, well, take school seriously to get a good science grade?"

Carlos huffed. "I'll take things seriously when we get to high school." he clapped Rad on the shoulder. "We're still kids, we got all the time in the world to put off worryin' about that stuff."

"Yeah." Rad said softly, but inside his stomach churned. _'Fifty-three cards, and I've barely scratched the surface. Hot Shot doesn't trust me, and neither do Create and Shield. Is this what being an adult means?'_ If so, Rad hated it.

In the back of his mind he'd wondered about his predecessor; Kero gave hints every once in a while, but he always kept quiet about bigger things like who or where they were now. Rad couldn't help but think of how Kero saw him; if this whole card mess happened once before, how much did he measure up?

Rad felt inadequate, worsened by the weight of all that was going on, and his chest tightened. "I gotta go call Ray. I'll see you in class."

Carlos nodded. "Later, man. Hope you're feeling better."

Rad paused as he got up. ' _I hope so too.'_ he thought, but plastered on a smile, closing his eyes to keep his friend from seeing how the gesture didn't reach his gaze. "You know me, nothing can keep me down."

The minute Rad turned away, the smile was wiped clean.

* * *

Hot Shot's shoulder joints ached. His wrists felt heavy from the weight of the blade in his servos. His knee didn't ache anymore, but that didn't make up for the _rest_ of the pain. His vents cycled tirelessly, the sun hot on his plating; it was starting to get uncomfortable with how overworked his systems were becoming. He narrowed his optics as he lunged for a boulder, swinging down and the laser coating of the Star Saber cut it clean in half.

Hot Shot winced. His swing was off, cutting the hunk of rock at an awkward angle, causing only a chunk of the boulder to fall from the rest. It was nothing like Sword's clean cuts. His spark pulsed heavily, causing a constricting feel in his chest plates. _'With Sword I was able to do this perfectly.'_ The thought slipped in, and the yellow mech immediately batted it away.

His lips twisted into a scowl. He didn't need magic to help him, and what Sword did was freaky anyway. Thoughts of the card though led back to Rad, and he shut down that line of thought before it went anywhere.

"Looks like your aim's off."

Hot Shot jumped, whirling around as he was about to raise the Star Saber. He stopped though when he saw it was only Sideways. _'He really is quiet.'_ he thought, and relaxed his stance. "I'm still learning here."

"With how much you've improved I would think you didn't need it anymore." Sideways said.

Hot Shot shrugged, and set the Star Saber down. "Take a break, I think we need one." he said, and the three mini-cons nodded before scurrying off. Hot Shot frowned slightly when he saw the way they avoided going near Sideways. Jolt had been the same, but he didn't linger on it as Jolt's compliancy in the ruse was still raw. "So what brings you out here?"

"I came to see you." The other mech replied, and Hot Shot furrowed his ridges when there was no follow up.

"Fooor?" he stretched the word out, trying to prompt Sideways into continuing.

The mech stared at him, optics unblinking. He slowly shook his helm, and crossed his arms. "Do I need I reason?"

Embarrassment wormed its way into Hot Shot's spark. He grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "No, it's just I'm usually not used to being asked to hang out."

"Really? You seem fairly comfortable with Smokescreen." Sideways said lightly.

Hot Shot huffed. "We're friends, of course I am."

The purple and yellow mech seemed to consider him for a moment. "Do you think of me as your friend?"

Hot Shot blinked, surprise coloring his expression. "Yeah, sure do." he said, but he couldn't keep how baffled he was out of his tone. "Optimus is the boss, Red's...Red, and you and Smokey are my friends."

"What about Jolt and Rad?"

Hot Shot froze, his features tightening. His fists clenched as hurt simmered beneath the surface. "It's complicated." he vented deeply, and frowned to himself. Rad could wait, but he needed to talk to Jolt. If they were fighting longer than a 'normal' spat lasted then the others would get suspicious. _'I'm already lying enough for Rad as it is.'_ he thought. "I have to go, we can hang out later."

He moved around Sideways, but paused when the mech grabbed his shoulder. Hot Shot gave him a quizzical stare, but the other mech didn't say anything as he briefly rubbed the metal. Sideways retracted his servo, and stepped back before continuing on his way.

Hot Shot furrowed his ridges, his face flushing as an oddly warm feeling spread into his spark. He wondered briefly why he felt that way, but refocused on looking for Jolt instead of how confusing Sideways was being.

Stepping around a corner, he found Jolt talking with Sparkplug and Longarm, but the orangish-pink mini-con halted when he saw Hot Shot. Jolt looked down for a moment, his voice quiet. _"Go on, I think it's time we had a talk anyway."_

Longarm warbled something, while Sparkplug patted Jolt on the back before they both walked off.

Jolt vented, his gaze rising to meet Hot Shot's. " _Let me guess, it's about the cards, isn't it?"_

"You didn't say anything." Hot Shot said. "None of you did."

" _Because it wasn't our secret to tell you."_ Jolt replied. " _Call it a weak excuse, a bad decision, but from our perspective all we saw of Rad's power was another way for it to be controlled. We knew you Autobots wouldn't think of hurting Rad, but we couldn't let the Decepticons find out-that's why we never said anything-if you didn't know you couldn't slip up."_

Hot Shot absorbed what was being said, but forced himself to see beyond his own hurt. "I still don't like it, you let me think I was crazy."

 _"Rad made a mistake, but he still told you first."_ Jolt said.

"I get that, but it still hurts that you've all been keeping this from us." Hot Shot said. "What has to happen before Kero can see we can be trusted?"

 _"I don't know,"_ Jolt admitted quietly, " _but I think it's going to take more than just High Wire snipping at him."_

"You want me to try?" Hot Shot offered, but his lips twisted up into an ironic smile. "I don't exactly think that doll is going to listen to me either."

" _Then just try with Rad."_ Jolt said and Hot Shot blinked. _"You have every right to feel we betrayed your trust, but please give us the chance to earn it again. I feel like we're going to have to do that a lot if the other Autobots find out."_

Hot Shot frowned, debating with himself strongly about it. "I..." If, there was that word again. But just as much as Rad hurt him with his silence, Hot Shot found himself worried if the blond's entire reason for being his friend was just so he could get Create. That- there were no words to describe what that would do to him. "I...I need to think it over."

* * *

Megatron didn't look happy, but lately it was becoming less of a surprise. No one was foolish enough to _say_ anything about it though, but he glared at them from his throne regardless. "Tell me, how is it we not only lost the Star Saber, but that you, Starscream, _master swordsmech,"_ he drawled the words mockingly and Starscream stiffened, "couldn't defeat one measly little Autobot?"

"He caught me by surprise, I'll be prepared next time." Starscream replied, his tone forcibly calm. Inside he was still seething by the loss; it took nearly two days to fix his wing sword.

"You talk tough, but you aren't as good as you think you are." Cyclonus said snidely.

The words made Starscream flashback to that yellow Autobot smirking at him, and his fists clenched. "I am certainly more competent than _you_ will ever be."

"Hey!" Demolishor cut in, his expression offended. "Cyclonus has come up with more ideas than you. They don't work, but he's trying!"

Cyclonus scowled. "Did you just try to help me or insult me?"

Starscream snorted, and let out a low chuckle. "I don't know why I waste my time talking to either of you, clearly there's not an ounce of wit in those blocks you call helms."

"Oh really? From what I saw out there, you cut and ran at the first sign of difficulty." A new voice echoed from behind, and Starscream whirled around, optics narrowing in on a tall form wearing a cloak.

Demolishor and Cyclonus tensed as well, but Megatron only looked annoyed.

"You certainly took your time getting here, Scavenger." he said.

The newly identified mech scoffed, his optics roving around the decrepit room contemptuously. "You need all the firepower you can get, there was no chance you'd send us away. Even after all these years you're still just an upstart."

Starscream frowned. ' _Us?'_ Was this old mech senile?

Megatron scowled at Scavenger all the same.

"Hey, you can't talk to Lord Megatron that way!" Cyclonus shouted.

"Show some respect!" Demolishor added.

Scavenger crossed his arms over his chest. "Respect?" he harrumphed derisively. "I knew your 'lord' before he became what he is today- he wasn't impressive then and he has yet to be now."

Megatron's servo clenched the arm of his makeshift throne tightly, but his expression was cold. "Do not forget," he said with a surprisingly quiet menace, "that you still chose in the end to follow _me_. Not _him."_

Starscream glanced between Megatron and the old bot, frown deepening as he realized they both knew each other from before the war-if Scavenger's words were to be believed. Starscream didn't think much of him still. "You said us," he drawled, "do you have some secret weapon or do you think that much of yourself?"

Scavenger turned his optics to him, his expression unreadable, but slowly a knowing smirk crossed his lips. "Ah, you must be Starscream."

Starscream jerked his chin up, preening under the recognition. "So you've heard of me have you? My reputation must have spread far and wide."

"Not really." Scavenger said flatly, and Cyclonus snickered while Demolishor hid his behind a cough. Starscream's optic twitched as even Megatron smirked. "It's just that Skywarp insults you whenever he gets a chance, quite annoying really."

A surprised jolt ran down Starscream's spine at the name, but while Cyclonus and Demolishor seemed confused by the mention, Megatron had no reaction. Anger burned in the seeker's chest. _'He knew.'_ he thought in offence. Composing himself, Starscream frowned. "Oh, and where is he?"

Scavenger waved dismissively. "On planet somewhere; I told him to lay low until I decided if we were going to stay." he said flippantly.

Megatron was the first to react, shooting to his pedes and glared at the mech furiously. " _What?_ I called you here to fight, not as a social visit!"

Scavenger scoffed. "Like I said, I saw your fight out there and it wasn't all that great. Why should I stay if there's no chance of winning?" he smirked infuriatingly at Megatron. "Tell you what though; just for old times sake, I'll observe your next hunt. If I see something worth sticking around for, consider me and Skywarp in."

Megatron scowled deeply at the old mech, his optics narrowed into a dark glare. "Very-well." he said through gritted denta. He stepped down from the dais and stormed towards the opposite hall of the room, glaring at the rest of them. "Don't just stand there, go find something useful to do for once!"

Scavenger made a mocking sound. "Some great leader." he muttered.

Starscream turned a sharp glare on the mech. "You shouldn't have let Skywarp off on his own, he can't be trusted to look after himself. He never listens anyway."

Scavenger narrowed his optics. "Perhaps then he simply doesn't listen to _you_." he said, and the seeker stiffened. The old mech turned away. "And with such a high opinion of yourself, it's no wonder. Also not surprising that Autobot managed to slice in half your shiny Star Saber knock-off," he smirked at him over his shoulder, "how's repairing that going anyhow?"

Starscream scowled at Scavenger's retreating back. _'Oh, I'll show you, you decrepit old bot.'_

Demolishor frowned and glanced at Cyclonus. "You feel think we just missed something?" The helicopter stared blankly at him, and the tank sighed heavily. "Never mind."

Cyclonus' optics brightened as he saw the console's screen blink, showing a concentrated point. " _Oooh_! A new signal!"

Starscream looked abruptly at the screen, and his digits curled into fists. "Then why are we just standing here? Surely it would please Lord Megatron if we were to retrieve it."

"Are you serious?" Demolishor asked in confusion.

Starscream glared at them both. "I'm taking point," he said, acting as though he hadn't heard the tank, and set in co-ordinates on the warp gate, "though by all means stay here and be useless. I'm sure Lord Megatron will be _happy_ to see that."

Both Cyclonus and Demolishor stiffened, and they reluctantly got onto the warp pad along with Starscream, who glared in the direction Scavenger left in before the gate activated, and the three of them vanished.

* * *

 _"So how did Rachel take you wanting to do these 'martial arts' class?"_

Rad froze, but more out of surprise than fear. 'That...was new.' he thought, as High Wire's 'martial art's came out as more of a feeling than actual words. Did...did mini-con language not have an equivalent? _'I guess it's not surprising.'_ he added. "She's worried, though she said I could try, but I think she's too busy to...care really." he whispered, and High Wire immediately sat down beside him.

 _"That's not true! She's busy, but she clearly loves you."_

Rad blinked from the force of the conviction in the mini-con's tone, and found himself smiling slightly. It was nice to know that Rachel and High Wire liked each other, given how tense things were after the mini-con woke up. "I know, I'm just...not sure what to feel."

"You know," Kero said from his spot on the coffee table, absently channel surfing. He only got to be in the living room for dinner because Rachel was studying in her room, "it would probably help your work resolve if you put this much thought into catching the remaining cards."

Rad scowled at the plushy. He knew Kero was just wheedling him, but it got on his nerves. "Aren't you supposed to be intune with them or something? What happened with that?"

"I'm doing that, the spirits are just better at masking themselves now." Kero retorted, but he paused and flicked the station back to a news channel he passed.

 _"I've been meaning to ask; what's the difference between your human forms of news? Sometimes when we pass the electronics shop they have people on the televisions reporting, but also on those...those **boxes** in cars or hand held things."_ High Wire gestured, making his confusion apparent.

Rad furrowed his brow. "I'm not sure why, maybe just to get out different ways to inform people of what's going on in the world." he caught sight of an anchorman sitting behind a desk, a sketch of a woman behind him but Rad didn't pay much attention. "Take for instance what Ms. Santiago does," he paused to let High Wire remember that she was Carlos' mother, as somtimes they stumbled over human naming conventions or titles. It seemed to make them feel better given the Autobots didn't know what to make of it either when they found out Rad and Rachel had different surnames.

"She hosts a radio show that lets people know about...well, news on the more entertaining side of things-gossip, celebrities, stuff like that, where you can call in and talk on air." Rad explained. "News channels more or less just give you facts, updates about conditions in the world..." he furrowed his brow when Kero stiffened. "Okay, what's up with you?"

"Rad, how far is this station's broadcast signal?" The guardian asked stiltedly.

After taking in the name of the channel, the blond replied in confusion, "It's for the state, what's the matter?"

"That's a card." Kero muttered, and pointed at the screen.

More specifically, at the picture being shown. Rad blinked. "Are you sure? That just looks like a normal lady." It wasn't a colored in sketch, so the blond couldn't infer more than a basic appearance. She had an angular face, eyes that narrowed towards the corners and two buns on the side of her head tied with ribbon that flowed into twin tails, while straight bangs fell over her forehead. "How can she be a card?"

"The people who spotted her clearly just saw her cloaked form," Kero said, frowning as he crossed his arms-he looked really worried, "which isn't exactly good; the annoying brat-er, woman she based her form on might be older now but people might still recognize her."

Rad furrowed his brow. "You know who this is?" he asked, but didn't bother being irritated. Really, what was the point, Kero was just going to keep his secrets for as long as he could.

"Yeah, but we got bigger problems." Kero said. He pointed at the screen again. "This is Fight, no points for guessing what she does."

Rad nodded, but his eyes widened as the anchorman began speaking again about Fight.

"At an alarming rate, people are being assaulted by a young woman. No fatalities are reported, but several of the victims are still in critical condition. She has been spotted in several towns in Nebraska over the course of a week; so far robbery has been eliminated as a motive, but she has only targeted martial artists."

"Yeah, this is Fight." Kero muttered.

Rad's spine trickled with fear, pinpricks of unease raising goosebumps along his arms. "She sounds dangerous."

"She is." Kero replied. "Which is why I'll start looking for her, just finish your dinner or something." he floated up from the coffee table with a mute air about him that surprised Rad. He'd seen Kero flail and pout, but never did he act like this. Rad's stomach dropped as the guardian flew out of the area and back to Rad's room.

"I...he doesn't seem to have a lot of confidence in me." Rad said quietly.

High Wire patted his back. _"Don't worry, he's also the one who didn't tell you there was another guardian."_

Rad sighed and sat back against his seat. Yeah, that. He had no idea what he was supposed o think of that. Given Kero's secrecy though, when would he be considered ready to know about them? He shook his head. _'I still don't like this, but I don't have much choice but to trust Kero about this one.'_

* * *

It hadn't taken long to track the energy signature to a secluded forest, caught between two human towns. Honestly, it was better to keep the human inhabitants ignorant, if only to not be hounded by their annoying persistence of nosiness. Foolish as it was for the Autobots to acquire themselves human pets, they had the foresight to keep them out the way.

 _'Most of the time.'_ Starscream thought derisively. Even his mini-con didn't seem to get into as much trouble, and Swindle actively kept trying to escape. He shook his head, shooing the thoughts away as he focused on the task. Showing up Scavenger. ' _Gaining Megatron's recognition.'_ he reprimanded himself.

"How long have we been out here?" Cyclonus asked, a whine growing in his voice. "There's nothing to shoot at."

"There are trees, lots of trees." Starscream deadpanned, but no satisfaction followed the lack of guilt at the suggestion. ' _Slag, even when I don't think of you, you're still haunting me, Overcast.'_

"Maybe the reading was a dud?" Demolishor suggested. "Who knows what these energy signatures even are, they could sending out false trails for all we know."

"What would be the point? The one I saw with the mini-con just kept its signal from us. Why interfere with our mission?" Starscream retorted.

Demolishor looked both offended and huffy. "I'm just saying, don't need to get so defensive."

"Yeah, you're making this sound like you got something to prove-oh wait." Cyclonus cackled, and Starscream scowled at him before continuing down the path of trees.

But as Starscream, Cyclonus and Demolishor walked through the woods, they were startled by something crashing through the trees. The sound of the branches breaking was the only warning they received as a small, blue and white figure slammed into Cyclonus, knocking the bot back several steps as it pivoted off his chest.

The figure spun through the air, colliding itself against Demolishor, causing him to crash into a tree, which fell under the weight of the Decepticon, him falling down with it. The figure landed in front of Starscream, having dropped gracefully on a branch.

His optics widened as he finally saw what had attacked them. "What the...a human!?" he exclaimed, but upon closer inspection, he realized that no, it wasn't.

It was a human, and at first glance he could have been mistaken about it attacking them as it was a young female with angular pale features, narrow red eyes and black hair tied in two buns on the sides of her head with red ribbon that fell in tails while straight bangs covered her forehead.

The image though flickered, as though a projector malfunctioned and the young female was replaced with something resembling a blue-white teenage girl with cropped, shoulder-length pale hair framing her face, piercing sky-blue eyes and two, long odangos. She wore a blue leotard with white trimmings and a orange-red triangle on her chest that stood out as the only break in her otherwise monotonous appearance, and long tail fins flared from the leotard, while long, finger-less gloves with high, wide-finned cuffs on the tops covered her arms just below the shoulder, and white guards were on the back of her hands, and she had on a pair of blue and white, thigh-length boots.

Human or not-and Starscream leaned towards not- she crouched into an offensive position, arms raised and curled towards her chest and Starscream glowered at the strange female challenging him.

"I don't know what you want, creature, but you're going to regret tangling with us so boldly!" The seeker bellowed, reeling back his fist before hurtling it toward the woman.

But the punch missed her entirely, and she used the opportunity to run up his arm, and delivered a surprisingly powerful punch to his chin, before unleashing a flurry of hits to his face. His servo reeled back to smack her away, but there was no resistance as he ended up striking himself in his own face.  
Starscream scowled as his optics darted around, and he saw a flash of blue clinging to his arm.

"Huh? Hang on, I got the little pest!" Cyclonus shouted, the whine of blasters firing up.

Starscream's optics widened again. "Cyclonus, wait!"

Too late. Cyclonus let loose a series of blasts at the girl, but those shots only ended up hitting Starscream as she jumped away, scorching blaster burns along his plating and he doubled over onto the ground in pain, but also just to avoid being shot as Cyclonus kept firing at any blue movements through the trees.

Demolishor crawled to Starscream to avoid getting shot as well. "Commander Starscream! Are you alright?" he shouted over the din.

"Ugh, no, not with that trigger happy fool here! I'm afraid we might have to retreat." Starscream groaned in pain and no small amount of self-loathing. "Let the maniac deal with that freaky creature if he wants!"

As the two warped away, Cyclonus finally stopped shooting, simply because there was nothing left to target; trees were strewn about, bark and dust floating about in the air, and he could see no sign of the blue figure. Obviously that meant only one thing.

"Well, I sure took care of her." he bragged to himself as he glanced around at his handywork. "No sign of her, Starscream...Starscream?" He paused as he realized the seeker wasn't there either. "Demolishor?" he tried again, but received no answer. As he looked for his comrades though, he didn't realize there was a small blue figure clinging to the back of his head.

"Where did those two go?" Cyclonus wondered aloud.

And with that, the figure jumped up, using the helm as a springboard before delivering a heavy drop kick on the mech's forehead. It send him staggering backwards in pain, the shock of it taking him by surprise.

Though he was clearly in pain, clutching his forehead, the figure hadn't felt anything give completely. She'd hurt them, but it wasn't enough if it didn't show.

The figure was loathe to admit it, but she needed something more to deal with these giants.

Only then could she have a worthy challenge. Nodding to herself, she left the groaning mech and made her way to find that something-someone.

* * *

Groaning, Starscream clutched his arm as he found himself back on base, but froze as Megatron stood not several feet away with a scowl on his lips.  
Demolishor tried to kneel when he saw the purple and green mech, but he winced and settled for cringing into himself. "Lord Megatron, sir-"

"Quiet!" Megatron commanded harshly, and Demolishor immediately went silent. The purple mech's optics gazed darkly at Starscream, who thought being snarky right now was less important than damage-control.

"I-I can explain!"

"You'd better!" Megatron snarled.

Starscream tensed. "I thought it prudent to track down another one of those energy readings that appeared, but this one wasn't like the other. It resembled an organic female and attacked us from nowhere."

Megatron stared at him, anger still present but there was also incredulty. "You were taken out by a female human!?"

"No!" Starscream snapped. "I was taken out by that lunatic Cyclonus and his random blasting to get her!"

Megatron looked incredibly displeased. "Just-get out, both of you." he growled. "And let this be a lesson for the next time you think of going off on your own-without my orders-is a good idea!"

Starscream bit back an instinctive retort, settling for a nod as he rushed to take care of his injuries. ' _One day, you'll have to respect me. I'll show you what I'm capable of.'_

First though, he wanted payback on that blue organic.


	23. Chapter 22: The Big Picture Part 2

**Chapter 22: The Big Picture Part 2**

* * *

Rad stepped into the dojo, looking around at the mats against the wall, with the large windows in front. There wasn't much else besides a dummy or two, but there were two halls leading into the back that were likely locker rooms-because whatever negative zero mood he was in just dropped even further as Billy walked out in a white uniform with a white belt.

"What are _you_ doing here?" The blond demanded, surprised to hear Kelly echoing the question over his. Alexis was only staring at Billy suspiciously with folded arms but said nothing.

Billy glowered at them. "I overheard you talking about these classes and wanted to try it out. Besides, the dojo lady said it was okay since the class was open to anyone, so _there."_

Rad glared back, surprised the other hadn't gone the fully immature route and stuck his tongue out at them. His indignation turned into surprise when the instructor stepped out of her office, his eyes widening as he saw the angular pale features, the long black hair tied with red ribbon into two long buns on the side of her head and bangs falling over her forehead. It looked like the sketch on the news...only, older somehow. _'Was this what Kero meant? Does he know this woman?'_ he thought, but wasn't sure if this was just a coincidence or not.

And asking outright would be too weird, given they weren't even properly introduced yet.

The woman's hard expression looked over each of them, but softened when it landed on Kelly and Alexis. "For you boys that I don't know, you will call me Teacher until I am satisfied you have earned the right to address me by name." her chin jerked up. "Now go change, we are wasting enough time just standing around."

Rad nodded more nervously than either Kelly or Alexis, and his stomach rolled as they went to the locker rooms. He paused in front of the boy's room. "Hey," he whispered, "I don't want to sound rude, but your aunt looks a bit...I don't really see a resemblance." There was no way he could use the words 'like a fighting spirit I need to catch' without sounding off or insulting.

Kelly shrugged, blushing lightly. "She's technically our second cousin, I guess, but we've both known her for all our lives so she's just Aunt Mei to us."

Rad nodded like he understood, but honestly, he couldn't. There was only Aunt Joy, since his mother had no other siblings, half or otherwise, and Rachel was his only cousin. It was why he connected with his friends so well, perhaps not for a good reason, but neither Carlos and Alexis had any brothers or sisters, and such a comradery meant a lot back in elementary school.

It made being alone easier to bear...

Rad shook his head, his stomach twisting as there was a bleak reminder of High Wire leaving him too. _'Stop that, it's just for the weekend, and he's going to be up at the Autobot base. You can call him at any time.'_ He hoped that was true, and he changed into his white uniform and same colored belt. He left his clothes and backpack in a locker, but turned on the ringer of his phone just in case of an emergency, and when he came back into the dojo, Kelly and Alexis were standing perfectly still while Billy was scuffing his barefoot on the mat.

Billy noticed him first, and sneered. "About time you got out here; we've been waiting for hours!" Their instructor looked at the tall boy sharply, a scowl on her lips and a fire in her eyes. Billy shrank back. "Sorry." he muttered.

Teacher snorted derisively, and she sent Rad a brief, fierce glare and nodded to the spot next to Alexis. Rad skittered over to her, and tried to copy his friend's straight posture. His back began to ache almost instantly.

The older woman put her hands behind her back, her form relaxing as a smile curled up the corner of her lip, but it didn't reach her eyes. It created an unnerving disconnect. "I know many forms of martial arts," her chin jutted up, a proud glimmer in her eyes, but just as quickly a disdainful glint replaced it, "and no, that is not permission to make any assumptions; we'll start this trial run off with karate, because I'm sure you're all the most familiar with that here in the west."

Teacher looked over each of them when she said it, but a sinking feeling coiled in Rad's stomach as her gaze seemed to linger on him and Billy as she said it. "Now," she held up a hand, pointing at Kelly and Alexis, "boys and girls, split up. We're doing spars first."

Rad turned to Alexis, but she had already grabbed Kelly and found himself staring at Billy instead. He scowled and the other boy mirrored it. "You, really?"

"I was just going to say the same thing." Billy retorted. "You ready to get a beat down?"

Teacher scowled at him fiercely. "No starting fights, you only use this as a last resort."

"Kind of hypocritical since she beats people up for a championship belt." Alexis muttered, but blushed when Teacher glowered at her. "Uh, what I meant was...you're very good at what you do, even better than Uncle S-"

Teacher laughed, and Rad jolted by how unexpected it was. "No one can beat him," she scoffed, "he's the best there ever is." she said, her expression dreamy.

Rad furrowed his brow, wondering why Kelly's face was turning red and about the mortified look which crossed her features. He raised his hand, and Teacher snapped out of her daydreaming to nod at him. "What are we learning first with karate?"

Teacher straightened up, coughing into her closed fist. She tried to get back into the same threatening manner she had in the beginning, but Rad found it a bit harder to take seriously given how she acted just moments before. It was still unnerving to see though. "For now, I want you boys to watch the girls, and then I'm going to get you to repeat what they do and tell you why you're doing it wrong."

Billy stared at her incredulously, and he looked at Kelly and Alexis. "Is she serious or making a joke."

"Serious." Both brunettes answered tiredly, as though they'd done this before. For all Rad knew, they probably had.

Rad wasn't about to start an argument though, and he stood attentively as Alexis and Kelly slid into stances, their frames at ease with the movement. The blond wondered why Alexis had never mentioned being able to do martial arts, but Teacher's words hit him harder than before. _'Oh, right.'_ He blinked when a _thud_ rang out, and winced as Kelly had just grabbed Alexis by the arm and threw her over the shoulder and onto the floor. _'We have to copy that?'_

Alexis groaned. "I knew there was a reason I stopped practicing this."

Kelly rushed to her side, and helped the older girl sit up. "I'm so sorry! I didn't hurt you, uh, too badly?" she grimaced.

Alexis rolled her shoulder, and held her back as she was helped to her feet. "Just not used to this, kind of a shock."

Teacher sighed in a long-suffering way. "Fine, Alexis, sit out." her gaze turned to Kelly. "You can choose your next opponent while Alexis recovers."

Billy almost immediately stepped forward, smirking. "I'll take you on, kid."

Rad found himself surprised not only by the glare Kelly levelled at Billy, but how venomous her " _You're on"_ was spat at him. He looked from them to Alexis as she came to stand beside him. "Kelly's kind of...scary." he whispered. "Normally she's pretty cute."

Alexis raised a brow. "You think my cousin is cute?"

Rad nodded. "You know," he shrugged, "Kelly's cute like a little sister." he was struck by the abrupt gagging sound, and found Kelly had turned red, and Billy began laughing. Rad flushed as he realized she heard him. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

Alexis groaned and rubbed her brow. "You're so dense." she muttered.

Rad was about to ask, but snapped his mouth shut as Teacher sharply said " _Fight!"_ and Kelly got into another stance, while Billy more awkwardly tried to copy her.

"How does it feel knowing Rad just sees you as annoying little girl?" Billy taunted.

Kelly tensed up, growling low in her throat. "He does not!" she snapped. She snapped her palm out, and caught Billy on the shoulder, causing him to clutch at it as he staggered back.

Teacher scowled. "Kelly, this is defense, not offense."

Kelly winced. "I'm sorry, I forgot."

Billy smirked. "Maybe you're just not his type." he whispered.

Kelly narrowed her eyes. "Or maybe you think he's someone else's." she retorted, and Billy scowled as his face flushed.

Rad furrowed his brow, and lowered his voice. "I thought they were supposed to be sparring, not arguing."

Alexis looked at him in disbelief. "You seriously can't read what this is about?" Rad blinked owlishly at her, and she sighed, her mutter almost inaudible, "I can't believe you're both so oblivious."

Rad was about to question her, but heard the ringing of his cell phone from the locker room. He bit his lip as Teacher narrowed her eyes. "I, well, left my phone on because I was expecting an important call from my-uh-cousin!"

Teacher scowled, and made a huffing sound. "Then go."

Rad nodded sheepishly and hurried to the locker room. He fished his phone out of his backpack and furrowed his brow at the string of unrecognizable numbers, but by rule of thumb knew by now to think it was the Autobot's. "Who's this?"

 _"It's Hot Shot."_ The other voice replied, tone more subdued than Rad was used to hearing.

It caused the blond to straighten up, and he chewed on his lower lip for a moment. This was big. "Oh," he said quietly, because he didn't want to have Hot Shot hang up on him, "it's nice to hear from you."

" _I…suppose."_ Hot Shot said stiltedly. _"Look, I'm calling because I thought…I thought we needed to have a talk about-you know."_

Rad's chest tightened. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, and how relieved it made him. "I think so too. Do you want to meet up somewhere?"

 _"No, can you just get to the Autobot base?"_ Hot Shot asked.

Rad bit his lip as he looked at the time stamp in the corner of his phone. "Sure, no problem. I'll be there soon." He ended the call and hurried in changing back into his civilian clothes. He rushed out of the locker room with his backpack over his shoulder and ducked when Teacher narrowed her eyes at him. "it's an emergency and I have to go. I'm really sorry about this."

"What?" Billy demanded, and he looked surprisingly offended. "You can't go; you haven't seen me wallop this twerp yet!"

Kelly scowled and reached forward, her hands gripping Billy's arms before heaving him over her shoulder. "There, now he's seen me wallop _you."_ She looked up with a blush on her face, clasping her hands in front of her as she smiled at Rad. "I hope everything's okay."

"Yeah, so I do." Rad replied, and he looked worriedly at Teacher.

The woman narrowed her eyes with a scowl, but gestured dismissively. "Just don't be late next time, and if you're going to keep it up-don't bother coming anymore."

Rad nodded. "Right, got it!" he called back before he exited the dojo and hopped on High Wire's seat. "Hot Shot's finally going to talk to me, so can you put the pedal to the metal and get to me the base in record time?"

 _"Well, since you asked so nicely…"_ High Wire replied coyly, and Rad held on as the mini-con took off.

The blond whooped as he held on tight, and was more than willing to take this brief reprieve of exhilaration from the heaviness of the talk Hot Shot wanted to have with him. Given the subject matter, heavy was likely too simple a word to use.

Rad sighed, both at his thoughts and the fact all too soon the ride was over. He climbed off the 'bike' and let High Wire transform before the two of them made their way inside the cave, rock and dirt giving way to slightly cleaner metal walls. When Rad got to the command center, he blinked as he found only Hot Shot was around, standing in front of the terminal screen from Laserbeak's perspective.

"Hey, where's every-"

"You're finally here!" Hot Shot cut him off, his expression agitated. "There's a change of plans; while you were on your way, a mini-con activated."

"They do that all the time; what's got you so worked up?" Rad asked.

Hot Shot gestured to the screen. "Show him what we saw on the feed, Maya."

The holographic girl appeared over the terminal, nodding as the screen split from a bird's eye view with a smaller box stamped just minutes earlier. Rad's eyes widened as he saw a giant figure of a pale blue woman with long odango hair and cropped bangs marching over the rocky terrain.

"Is…is this to scale?" he whispered.

"Yes." Maya replied evenly.

"And," Rad bit his lip, "all the Autobots saw her?" his stomach dropped when Maya nodded again.

"They were freaked-or at least Smokescreen was, everyone else had a pit of a poker face." The yellow bot explained, and Rad couldn't even take the time to appreciate the expression for Hot Shot's actual features were tight and serious.

"How did you get out of going with them? Aren't you healed up by now?" Rad questioned.

Hot Shot nodded, glancing away. "Yeah, but I told them I wanted to be the trump card. I don't think Red or Sideways bought it, but Optimus said I could stay but not to make a habit of dramatic entrances." For a moment, he smiled wryly, though sighed. "First they think I'm unstable and now they probably think I'm full of it."

"I think it's more they think you're capable." Rad said gently, but Hot Shot grimaced.

"Even I agree, I'm still not over what you did." he muttered.

The blond flinched. "I don't expect you to be." he whispered. He coughed, and raised his voice. "Anyway, Maya, can you call Kero? I'm pretty sure Ray's at the library so he should be able to pick up." The hologram girl nodded, while Hot Shot looked dubious.

"And how's he supposed to help?"

"Kero might not look like much, but he's more knowledgeable than he seems," Rad replied, but grimaced, "it's only a matter of when he actually decides to be helpful about it. Though given Fight's size, I'm thinking he could know what's going on with her."

 _"Rad? Is this you? If it's not, you got the wrong number."_

"It's me," Rad spoke up quickly, "and I'm at the Autobot base with Hot Shot, High Wire and Maya; the other Autobots are out on a mini-con hunt, and Fight's there too."

 _"This isn't good; did they see her?"_

"Yes." Hot Shot said.

Kero said something in what sounded like Japanese, and from his tone, Rad inferred it wasn't anything good. " _Okay, tell me what happened."_ And when Rad relayed about Fight's appearance and unusual height, Kero was silent for a long moment. " _She's not alone, I think Big is helping her. Fight can't grow that size by herself."_

"What about that flower card?" Hot Shot questioned, his eyes glancing down at Rad hesitantly. Like he expected Flower to pop up. Rad felt the pulse from the card in question, but she seemed regretful she couldn't speak to him, which likely had to do with the severity of the situation.

 _"Flower was different,"_ Kero started, " _she could manipulate her petals to grow an extension of herself, but Fight doesn't have that kind of power. Big is the only one who could do it; you have to find her first and stop her, Rad."_

"Is Big more dangerous?" Rad asked worriedly.

Kero sighed. _"No, but it's_ why _Fight had her give her such a height lift. Fight goes after the strongest opponents she can find-this means she wants to fight those mecha!"_ Rad's eyes worried and Hot Shot stiffened. _"Find Big and Fight will lose her edge. You should still be on your guard though."_

"I will." Rad replied, and Kero ended the call. His blue eyes looked at the screen, where his gaze followed Fight as she stormed across the terrain. Like she could sense him, Fight glared up at Laserbeak and Rad hoped that wasn't the case. The spirit did nothing more than scowl before moving on. The blond was not relieved. "I-I think we better get going, the Autobots are going to need you, Hot Shot." he bit his lip. "And we can always talk later."

Hot Shot grimaced. "Right." Even if he suggested it, Rad didn't blame him for being reluctant to go through with it. "Maya, can you get the warp gate ready?"

The hologram girl nodded. "Good luck, and be careful." She said before fritzing out of existence.

The blond followed Hot Shot, his gut still churning as he didn't want to go through with this still letting Hot Shot think he didn't trust him. "I…" he trailed off, biting his lip as he couldn't find the words to explain himself. When he and Hot Shot found the Star Saber mini-cons, Rad gathered his resolve. "Can you understand them, Hot Shot?"

The yellow bot narrowed his optics slightly. "No, they haven't uplinked with me."

Here goes something. "I can." Rad said quietly.

Hot Shot blinked, stiffening up. "What?"

"I can understand them," Rad replied, and he listened to the warbling of the three mini-cons as High Wire quickly began to calm them down, "they think telling you is a mistake and High Wire's explaining why it's not."

Hot Shot shook his head, holding his head as he looked baffled and hurt. "W-what? Why _now?_ Of all times? This isn't the time to come clean."

"I wanted to prove that I trusted you." Rad replied, his cheeks heating as he realized how foolish he was to choose now as well. "I wanted in some way show you that you're my friend and I want things to be okay again."

"How can things be okay when you've all been lying to us about not understanding the mini-cons?" Hot Shot demanded.

"We didn't! No one except Rachel and Carlos knows I can understand all the mini-cons, and we didn't tell you because High Wire hadn't been sure if _he_ could trust you – just look at Maya's situation with Runway, Jetstorm and Sonar, they hate her for what her people did!" Rad yelled, and his voice lowered back to a whisper. "High Wire was scared, that's why he took Sureshock and Grindor to my friends, because he didn't want to be a weapon."

Hot Shot was silent for a long time. "Jolt never said anything," his lips twisted into a bitter smile, "though if he thought it'd make me mad I guess he wouldn't." he sighed heavily. "Do all of them really think of us like that? That we're just using them?"

"High Wire told me mini-cons have a servility program that binds them to- to another being. I don't know if you already knew this, but he also explained that while on some level they have to listen to you, this servility doesn't keep them from speaking their minds." Rad replied.

Hot Shot didn't appear mollified, but he nodded like he understood. "We should get going." He knelt as his voice softened while he talked to the Star Saber mini-cons. "Hey, you want to go out and kick some Decepticon aft?"

Sonar nodded vigorously, Runway pumped his fist into the air, and Jetstorm didn't wait as he made a break for the warp gate.

"I'll take that as a yes." Hot Shot chuckled briefly, but his expression was serious once he glanced at Rad. "Well finish this after."

Rad bit his lip, and nodded as they hurried to the warp gate, with the blond pulling his key from around his neck. "Key of the star, with powers burning bright; reveal the staff and shine your light- _release!"_ his key expanded into its staff form, and he brought it close. A smile briefly flitted across his lips when the Star Saber mini-cons all clapped. "Thanks, it's still cool to me too."

High Wire pulled Rad into a brief hug. " _Be careful!"_

Rad patted him on the back. "I will." He said and climbed into the cabin along with the other mini-cons. "Wait, what about Jolt?"'

"He's not going." Hot Shot said flatly. Rad winced, but didn't bug about it. The gate lit up, and Rad tensed as he felt momentarily nauseas before the warp room gave way to a rocky terrain with patches of grass and hills. "Go find the card as quick as you can!"

Rad nodded as he got out of the bot's cabin. "On it!"

And for everyone's sake he hoped he did too. As he watched Hot Shot leave though, Rad bit his lip as he pulled out Sword's card. The blond closed his eyes, and he tossed Sword into the air. "Go help Hot Shot, Sword!"

* * *

Hot Shot was so focused on finding his comrades that when he let the mini-cons out to transform, he didn't notice the three spot Sword's ghostly form appearing. They beeped between each other, and nodded before transforming into the Star Saber and letting Sword wash over them.

After Hot Shot was relieved to spot his teammates and commander over the ridge, he blinked when he found the Star Saber already formed, but smiled as he picked up the blade. A feeling of confidence swelled up inside of him. "You minis sure are on top of things, now let's go meet up with the others."

When they were close enough to be seen, Optimus spotted them first, his tone relieved. "Good to see you made it here safely, Hot Shot."

The yellow mech grinned. "It's not like I'm scared of some giant human."

"Given the unusual energy readings that were emitting from her, we can't say for certain she's a human." Red Alert said.

Hot Shot smirked. "Is that so?" he sidled up to the medic, and nudged him in the shoulder. "And since when did you get so gung-ho about this weird stuff?"

"I'm not." Red Alert said stiffly, but he was clearly embarrassed to be called out on it. "I merely find it worth investigating."

"Suuure." Hot Shot said. He wasn't sure what had gotten into him, but he liked seeing Red flustered. It showed there was more than just logic and cold circuits. _'Though Optimus is probably the only one who gets to see it.'_ He thought, but grimaced as he did _not_ want to think about what they did with their 'alone time'. _'I can't believe I was the last to know.'_ Though right now that wasn't the important thing. "So, have any of you found the mini-con panel yet?"

"Nothing so far." Smokescreen said. "And the signal wasn't moving, so it's probably stuck someplace, right?"

"Which will make it that much harder to find." Sideways said. "And there's no telling why that giant organic is here for."

Hot Shot grimaced. He wanted to tell them what Kero said, but how could he say anything without being asked where he learned it from? His spark twisted. How could he live with himself if someone got hurt by Fight and he could have warned them? "Then we should find the panel ASAP," he hefted the Star Saber onto his shoulder, "and with this blade I can cut through everything in no time. If the mini-con's stuck just leave it to me."

"I appreciate your confidence, but don't get cocky, Hot Shot." Optimus warned him, and the yellow mech ducked his helm sheepishly.

"Yes, sir." He replied. Splitting up might have crossed their processors, but given there was also a potentially dangerous unknown lurking about, they decided it was better to stick together. Hot Shot was more than relieved, but he did hope Rad found this 'Big' fast anyway.

The ground was rocky and Hot Shot narrowed his optics. Where would this mini-con panel be? If the panel was stuck, then it could be buried for all they knew. _'Or stuck in a cliff.'_ He thought. "So, should I just start swinging?" The thought of waving the Star Saber around like an amateur repulsed him though, which was odd since technically that's what he _was_.

Hot Shot stopped short, his optics closing as he hoped he wasn't right. He only felt like this once. _'Sword?'_ he called, and felt a pulse from inside him and the Star Saber. Hot Shot frowned. _'Why did Rad send you to me? Does he think I can't protect myself?'_

It was the oddest thing, but Hot Shot almost got the impression Sword was _speaking_ to him. It wasn't words, and it wasn't the beeps translated into words like with Jolt. It was like a rippling of chimes and light washing through him, encasing him in the feeling of understanding and guilt. _'Rad…feels guilty? Well he should!'_ Hot Shot held his helm, because already he was overwhelmed by this whole magic thing, and now this body-jacking card was speaking to him. _'This better not be a regular thing.'_

Amusement washed over him before Sword simmered back down.

"Hey, Hot Shot, you okay?"

The yellow mech blinked, and stiffened when he found Smokescreen looking at him with a concerned expression. "Huh?" Was his oh-so brilliant reply.

"You just sort of spaced out, sure you're feeling alright?" Smokescreen pressed.

Hot Shot noticed Red Alert glancing back at him, and he wasn't going to give the medic a chance to ground him again. "I'm as fine as I've ever been!"

A blast rang out, and everyone whirled around, their blasters aimed at where it originated. Sideways looked unconcerned about almost being shot, as he calmly lowered his arm cannon. He gestured to the smoking and crumpled rubble where a chunk of a cliff used to be.

"I found the mini-con panel," he said placidly as the glint of a _yellow_ panel emitted from the rubble, "it was stuck."

"While I can appreciate your initiative, Sideways, you could have given away our position." Optimus said.

"Too late, Prime." Everyone looked up to find Megatron standing atop a cliff, Demolishor to one side but Starscream and Cyclonus nowhere in sight. "We'll be taking that mini-con now."

"I see you haven't changed more than I thought – you always did have a flare for such useless dramatics." A cloaked figure drawled as he walked up from behind the Decepticon leader, and Megatron snarled at him but Optimus stiffened.

"Is…is it really you?" Optimus asked, and Hot Shot was shocked to find how hesitant his leader sounded.

The figure chuckled as he discarded his cloak, revealing a tall green and purple mech. "It's been a long time, hasn't it, Orion?"

Hot Shot's optics widened, and he saw Smokescreen looked just as confused, but he couldn't tell with Sideways. Red Alert though didn't react at all. "Why did he call Optimus that?"

The medic frowned. "Not many knew this, but before Optimus became a Prime, he was a mech named Orion Pax."

"But _you_ know." Megatron growled, his red optics burning brighter. He turned his glare on Demolishor. "Don't just stand there, get the mini-con!"

Demolishor saluted. "Yes, sir!" he said before jumping off the cliffside.

Megatron scowled at the purple and green mech. "And you're just going to continue standing around?"

The mech smirked. "We'll see."

The Decepticon leader scoffed harshly before jumping off the cliff as well. Hot Shot was startled to see him making a bee-line for Red Alert, but Optimus intercepted him by locking servos with him. "How _sweet_ ," Megatron hissed, "but tell me, when you told him about your old self, did you tell him _everything?_ "

Optimus didn't reply.

Hot Shot though looked to Red Alert. "Seriously, what's Megatron's problem with you?"

Red Alert grimaced. "Something that's now pertinent to the mission, no matter what Megatron thinks." The yellow mech frowned. "Just get the mini-con pan-" he stopped, his form tensing and Hot Shot heard the tell-tale engine overhead.

Hot Shot lifted the Star Saber. "I got this," he said and added pointedly, "just get the mini-con panel."

Red Alert sent a cold glare towards Starscream as the seeker landed, but nodded sharply. "Be careful." He said and went to help Smokescreen deal with Demolishor, while Sideways' attempt to grab the mini-con panel was thwarted by Cyclonus appearing and firing at him.

Hot Shot narrowed his optics as Starscream unclipped his wing sword. "You really wanna do this again?" he grinned as confidence flowed through him. "Aren't you getting tired of losing?"

Starscream glared at him. "I refuse to accept that _you_ , someone with less experience than a novice, could ever defeat me with _beginner's luck._ "

Hot Shot's grinned only widened, despite feeling a stab of nervousness. "What's the matter? Still upset that you and your Star Saber knock-off aren't all that?"

Starscream froze, his expression blank. Then with a furious screech, he lunged forward and swung at Hot Shot's neck. "I will show you both!"

Hot Shot's body moved before he could think too, bracing his servo on the unignited blade against Starscream's sword. He narrowed his optics. "Touched a nerve, huh? Can't really blame me if it's _true."_

Starscream scowled fiercely at him, pressing his own glowing sword against the saber, and it cast an eerie red light over the seeker's face. "You will pay for the humiliation you have caused me."

Sword might not have cared if it frayed Starscream's nerves, but Hot Shot was beginning to feel distinctly uncomfortable with how the card was behaving. It could back up what it was saying, but Hot Shot was screwed if he ever faced the seeker without Sword. ' _Let's just end this now.'_ Sword pulsed in reply.

"And you know what I say to that?" Hot Shot frowned at Starscream. "You're _boring me."_ Inside the yellow mech flipped out. ' _Slag it, Sword!'_ he thought as the Star Saber ignited, and his body twisted around until he was behind Starscream, jerking his wrist and sliced through the wing sword before bringing it up against the seeker's throat. " _Sayonara."_

Starscream scowled back at him as we'll as he could, optics glaring balefully at him before he warped away.

Hot Shot frowned as Sword let him have control of his body back and glanced at the saber. _'Seriously, what's up with you? You've had him twice and you let him go._ ' He shook his head, because he could barely understand how these cards words as it, let alone think of why Sword wouldn't kill Starscream. Did it just like messing with him? Hot Shot didn't know.

The ground cracked behind him, and Hot Shot whirled around to find that new mech had jumped from the cliff, landing just short of Hot Shot, the force of impact creating a small crater. He discarded his cloak and tilted his head, cables in his neck cracking. The yellow mech wondered how old this bot had to be for his cables to make _that_ sound.

Hot Shot narrowed his optics. "You want a go, old mech?"

Before the other mech could reply, a strangled cry rang out. Hot Shot felt Sword's panic and when he looked over to where the sound came from, his spark dropped. Standing over the mini-con panel, and holding Cyclonus by the neck, was Fight. She found them.

"What the frag is this? One of your tricks, Prime?" Megatron demanded, but Optimus didn't reply as he could only stare at the spirit.

"L-Lord Megatron, this is the organic that we encountered – o-only it somehow grew!" Demolishor explained hastily, causing the Decepticon leader to scowl.

Fight slowly looked up, her piercing pale blue eyes locked on Megatron and Optimus. Her gaze narrowed, and she threw Cyclonus away like a piece of trash. The spirit picked up the mini-con panel, and began marching towards the two leaders.

' _She only fights the strongest-'_ Hot Shot's optics widened. "Optimus, get out the way!"

Optimus looked startled. "What-?" He was cut off when Fight lunged for him, but to Hot Shot's shock, Megatron pushed Optimus out of the way and held up his arms to shield himself from Fight's roundhouse kick. The red and blue mech blinked slowly. "You…"

"Don't say it, Prime." Megatron growled, and Fight's lips tightened as she pressed her leg down harder. "I would not allow this _creature_ the pleasure of dismantling you – that's reserved only for me!" he roared and shoved Fight back.

The spirit jumped and did a back flip before landing perfectly on her feet. She narrowed her eyes, but smirked faintly as she held the mini-con panel up before closing her fist around it. Fight slid into a stance, and held her hand up, beckoning the Decepticon leader forward.

Megatron scowled at her. "That mini-con panel will be mine, even if I have to rip it from your unnatural fingers."

If anything, Fight's smirk grew wider. And out of everything that happened today, Hot Shot found it the most unsettling.

* * *

Rad hurried through the rocky terrain, but when his legs began to ache and his lungs screamed for air, he held his knees and gulped down breaths. He scolded himself, because what was the point of running? There was urgency, but that urgency would only screw him over if he didn't know where Big _was_.

With that in mind, Rad paced himself more slowly as he kept a look-out for a presumably giant spirit because it wouldn't be make sense for it not to be. Not for the first time Rad wanted to groan at whatever humour went into naming the cards, but he doubted he'd do any better.

Rad passed by a large boulder, but didn't get suspicious because those things were naturally huge. But when he came upon a giant ant roughly the size of a large dog scurrying across the terrain he thought he was on the right track. The ant made him anxious when it strayed to close, so he picked up the pace as he came across larger versions of tree trunks and the odd branch. Thankfully the spirit didn't find anymore animals or insects to enlarge.

Making his way around a jutting rock face, Rad stopped again, his breath catching. His eyes were glued on the form, awe coursing through him. Sitting upon a boulder, was a giant blue woman dressed as a princess. It wasn't an exaggeration, as the woman was wearing a long medieval-styled dress with long sleeves that obscured the hands resting on her lap. Her bangs were cut short to frame her face, while the rest was long in the back, and atop her head was a divided hennin. Wrapped over her shoulders was a long blue cape with its clasp being a red jewel.

The spirit's eyes were closed in a serene expression, and Rad felt bad about approaching her. _'The one time I get to meet a princess I have to seal her away.'_ He thought ironically. The blond cleared his throat. "Hello?"

The spirit opened her eyes, face neutral but Rad felt a glimmer of curiosity. Then she narrowed her eyes when she seemed to find something in his features she didn't like. Rad gasped as the wand began to expand, and the blond was forced to let go. It clattered to the ground, the sealing staff now the size of a tree trunk and likely just as heavy.

 _'I should have known this wouldn't be easy._ ' Rad thought, and bit his lip as he thought of how to go about this. "Er, Princess Big?" The spirit raised a brow, and Rad flushed. "Did you make Fight grow because she asked you too?" Big nodded, and Rad rubbed his brow. "Then I guess you already know what she's been doing."

When Big narrowed her eyes again, Rad wondered just how _much_ the cards told each other. He also realized he didn't know whether or Big was gentle or not. Kero's 'she's not more dangerous than Fight' didn't mean much when Fight could put countless people in the ER.

"I…I don't know why you don't like me," Rad began gently, "or if this has anything to do with me at all, but your friend Fight is going to hurt _my_ friends." He explained, and bit his lip. "Just like to get a challenge she's been putting people in the hospital."

Big didn't look surprised, and Rad quickly switched tracks if getting her sympathy wouldn't hurt.

"I won't let her hurt my friends!" Rad shouted, and Big raised a brow once more, this time almost challenging. Rad clenched his fists. "I'm sorry about whatever happened to you all, but taking it out on everyone won't solve anything! And to stop Fight, it means stopping you!"

The blond quaked inside, and he was sure it only intensified when Big stood up – and _up_. Rad's heart beat loud enough for him to hear it in his ears as Big towered over him, a literal giant. Her face was hard, eyes narrowed on him like a homing beacon.

"I'm not afraid of you." Rad whispered, and the ground trembled when Big stepped towards him, growing even taller – or was that just because she was getting _closer?_ The blond quailed inside, unable to stop from shaking when the spirit was right above him, and her gaze was locked on him reproachfully. Rad froze stock-still when Big leaned down, her eyes widening as a palpable sense of disdain threatened to suffocate him.

Thinking of the Autobots who could have encountered fight, to see them in the medbay or worse – Rad gathered his resolve and he glared back up at her. "I won't let anyone hurt my friends." He said firmly, managing to keep the quiver out of his voice even inside he was still terrified.

For the longest time, Big only continued bearing down on him, her expression giving away nothing. Her lips, pulled into a frown, turned into a smile, the disdain abruptly turning to approval.

Rad sucked in a breath, his own relief flooding him as he began to wobble, his legs giving out. Large, soft hands caught him under the shoulders, and Big lifted him back on his feet. Rad stared at her with wide eyes. "Huh?"

Big's brow rose once more, and Rad felt the pricking of her magic. He slowly realized what she wanted.

"You…wanted to test me, to…see if I would run." Rad said as he deciphered what Big meant. He furrowed his brow. "You didn't want to rely on a coward." The words were significant to the spirit, and he wondered not for the first time just what happened in the past. "I hope I don't mess it up then."

Big smiled gently as she patted him on the head, and stepped aside, revealing the now normal-sized staff.

Rad smiled back a bit hesitantly, and scooped the staff up. He pointed the star end of the wand at Big, who curtsied to him. "Return to your power confine," Sword's ghostly form appeared before him, and Rad realized just what happened. _'It had to come back because I stopped using the wand to sustain it.'_ He thought and caught Sword's card, "Sakura Card!"

A glowing shell card appeared at the tip of the wand's wings, enlarging as a gust of wind picked up. Big slowly began to dissolve, wisps of blue being sucked into the card until nothing was left. Slowly the wind died down, and a pink card floated over to Rad, where he caught it and saw Big facing forward on the card, her eyes closed as the red jewel was the only other color besides the pink tones.

Rad sighed in relief, noticing the boulder Big was sitting on turning back into a pebble. He smiled triumphantly. _'You're next, Fight.'_

* * *

Hot Shot's instincts told him to help Optimus even though freaking _Megatron_ saved him, but he was forcibly reminded that Fight wasn't the only one on the battlefield. Hot Shot jumped back when an arm tread took a swing at his helm, and he glared at the purple and green mech. "Just like a 'Con, taking a cheap shot."

The mech snorted. "What you call cheap, I call practical." His optics narrowed. "Never take your optics off an opponent."

Hot Shot glowered at him, but stiffened as Sword's energy wavered, and its image appeared before fading away. It left him hollow, and he realized _'Frag, I'm screwed'_ , but shook his helm and held the Star Saber in front of him. "Then I'm taking you down old bot."

The mech scoffed, and he didn't flinch when behind him Fight had grabbed Demolishor as he attempted to attack her, and she threw him just short of hitting the old mech. Hot Shot looked down at the beige and red mech briefly, but charged anyway and swung at the taller bot.

Hot Shot grinned as the blade went into the mech's tread arm, but froze when he realized how _stupid_ it was. _'Frag!'_ he thought, and the old mech smirked as he used his other arm to cuff Hot Shot in the chest, knocking him back. The yellow mech grimaced as the other mech wrenched the blade from his arm, not even looking bothered by the oil which seeped out of the wound.

"What an amateur move; I don't know which is more pitiful, you defeating Starscream, or that he couldn't defeat _you."_ The old bot plunged the saber into the ground, and Hot Shot clenched his fists. He glared down at Demolishor, who was groaning. "I suggest you leave; you wouldn't like being in my way."

Demolishor looked between the wound on the mech's arm, and grimaced. "R-Right." He muttered, and rather reluctantly hurried back over to the battle with Fight.

Hot Shot winced as Fight launched a punch at Sideways, but Optimus grabbed her wrist only to get flung into Red Alert.

Abruptly, as Fight leapt to deliver a roundhouse kick on Megatron, her form shrank until she was the size of a teenager. Fight landed short, frowning as she looked down at herself. The panel laid on the ground beside her, and she seemed displeased before scooping the panel up and making a sprint out of the group of mechs.

Megatron snapped out of his daze first, roaring as he gave chase after the spirit, but her form vanished from sight, taking the mini-con panel with her. He snarled and rounded on Cyclonus and Demolishor. "Back to base; I want that filthy organic found and that mini-con in my grasp!"

"Yes, sir!" Both bots saluted before warping away.

Megatron scowled at the Autobots. "It would appear just this once, we have reached an impasse." He muttered, and warped away as well.

Optimus stared at the spot where the Decepticon leader once stood, and glanced at his troops. "Mechs, we need to find this organic. Who knows what she could try to do with it."

"Optimus," Hot Shot started, and was surprised to find not only the old bot gone, but the Star Saber still there, "who was that mech with the Decepticons?"

"His name is Scavenger…he used to be my teacher," Optimus explained, "but that was a very long time ago, back before factions existed." He shook his helm gently. "But right no my past isn't important, we need to find that organic."

"She should still be emitting that strange energy, I can try to track her down that way." Red Alert said, and Optimus nodded.

Hot Shot waited until everyone began warping away, and when he was the last one left, the yellow mech commed. Maya. "Can you delete the footage Laserbeak captured from your end?"

 _"Yes, but you I will also need to erase it from Laserbeak's hard drive when you return as well."_ Maya explained.

"I'm on it." Hot Shot said, and after grabbing the Star Saber, he went looking for Rad.

* * *

Walking around the terrain, Rad worried he might have come across the same patch of grass twice. It would be just his luck if it were. Sighing, Rad carried on until he crossed the cliff-but it was only because what lied on the other side. Rad's eyes widened into saucers as he looked up at the purple and green mech, his eyes locked on the Decepticon insignia. The blond backed away, even if he knew it was pointless to outrun a 'Con.

"You're the human that travelled with that yellow mech," he said in a gravelly voice, and Rad's eyes widened further. He saw them? "I find it quite interesting that his strange proficiency with a blade is your doing." He added almost causally.

Rad though was freaking out inside. This wasn't good- a 'Con seeing him was on thing, but that same 'Con seeing him use magic? _'I'm dead.'_ He thought. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

"Do not play stupid, human. I saw with my own optics how you waved that pink stick of yours and an imprint of a sword appeared. When I was fighting that yellow bot, the same image dissipated and he lost his sword prowess." The mech explained, and his eyes narrowed. "I know not your connection to these strange events, but I know a crutch when I see it. Continue with your interference and things will not end well for your Autobot friend."

Rad clutched his key, but hesitated in calling the staff form. If he didn't confirm what the bot saw, then the blond could still claim ignorance. "Are you threatening me?"

The bot levelled him with a mirthless smile. "I'm a Decepticon, I don't need a reason."

The blond's fingers tightened, but he looked away involuntarily by the sound of his name being called, and he looked back at the old mech just as he began to warp away. Rad didn't calm down, and he hurried to Hot Shot's location.

The two stared at each other for a moment, before Hot Shot awkwardly handed him Laserbeak and transformed into vehicle mode. Rad climbed in after the three Star Saber minis did, and when they arrived back at base, Runway, Jetstorm and Sonar were let out before Hot Shot stammered out an excuse for clearing his mind as Rad ducked into the cabin to remain out of sight.

During the ride back to his apartment, Rad sighed as he knew this was the only time they could have talked. "Hot Shot?" he said quietly. "Did…did anything happen on the mission? Did Fight hurt anyone?"

Hot Shot bounced on his shock absorbers. "What? Oh, about that…" he trailed off. "She kind of took off after, well, she stole the mini-con panel when she shrank."

Rad blinked. "Ah, I didn't think she'd do that." He said apologetically. "Did anything else happen?"

"Yeah, this old mech kept talking down to me." Hot Shot muttered.

"Old mech?" Rad repeated, and bit his lip. "If he was green and purple, then I think I met him too."

"What?!" Hot Shot screeched to a halt, and a car honked loudly behind him as it swerved around. "Scrap." The yellow bot muttered as he continued driving and turned onto the curb. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, he just…talked down to me too." Rad replied.

"Well, glad to see you're alright." Hot Shot said awkwardly. "Though I was wondering, could I talk to your toy friend? After today, I'm starting to see what you went through keeping this magic stuff quiet."

Rad blinked again, but his heart lightened. This wasn't a 'we can put this behind us' because it was too soon for such a thing, but Rad could accept this. "Yeah, I'll try and talk him into it. Maybe now he'll finally start loosening up over the secrecy."

Somehow Rad doubted that, but for now, he could at least hope it would happen. Just like even if it took more time, he could get Hot Shot to like him again.


	24. Chapter 23: Timewarp Part 1

**A/N: I would like to give a shout-out to Vanessa Masters who helped me with the title for this one!**

* * *

 **Chapter 23: Timewarp Part 1**

 _(Alternative Title: A Day That Never Ends)_

* * *

Between scoops of his cereal, Rad alternated between eating and making sure Ray wasn't about to start hyperventilating. She looked... _twitchy_ , with her jaw clenching and her eyes roving repeating over her notepad. She'd checked that list five times already! "You sure you don't want to eat something?"

"There's no time to eat." Rachel retorted. "I have to make sure I didn't forget anything." she pointed at one of the checkpoints. "High Wire's at the Autobot base?"

"Took him there last night." Rad confirmed reluctantly, though it was awkward when he met up with Hot Shot who still didn't seem to know where Rad fell on the 'friend or not' scale. Rad knew he had no right to give his opinion, but he hoped it would be friends again.

"Got your suitcase packed for the weekend?"

"Yes." Rad answered, his tone more of a growl.

Rachel narrowed her eyes, more than likely picking up the tone. "Don't use that voice on me, there was no other option but for you to stay with my parents. You're too young to be on your own."

Rad sullenly continued eating. He hated it when Ray made sense, because it made him feel ridiculous about it. "I _know_ I can't live on my own, I just don't want you to go."

Rachel crossed her arms, but her mouth was a softer frown than usual. "This is for my final exam, it's important to me. I would never stand in the way of the same for you."

Rad closed his eyes, because he honestly wasn't sure if that would be true. A part of him wanted to believe her, but the other part only reminded him she didn't believe in magic anyway. ' _I want to tell you, but I'm scared of how you'll react.'_

The sound of a knocking on the door caught Rad off guard, and he looked up incredulously as Rachel opened it, allowing two middle-aged people in, a man and woman very familiar to Rad. The blond blinked. "What's going on? I thought you were coming at 8:45 for Ray?"

Aunt Joy smiled serenely at him. "Change of plans kiddo," she ruffled Rad's hair and he pouted, "I talked with Rachel last night and we agreed it was better to kill two birds with one stone." She gently nudged his shoulder. "We're dropping you off at school before taking Ray to the bus stop, now go get your bag and your uncle can help you with your suitcase."

"That's fine, I can do it myself!" Rad said nervously, and he hurried to his room. He pulled on his backpack, but quickly opened the suitcase, browsing through just to make sure there was no plushy hitchhiker. "Kero, you'd better not be in here," he whispered, "I'll come back after school to take you to the Autobot base and High Wire can watch you, just hang tight."

Rad knew Kero and High Wire didn't get along, but he couldn't help hoping it finally got Kero to listen to reason about informing the rest of the Autobots about magic. It seemed to work with Maya and her trust issues regarding the bots, though he couldn't tell for certain given how reserved she usually was.

"Hey, buddy, you talking to someone in here?" His uncle asked as he poked his head into the room.

Rad made a show of waving his cell phone around, and nervously rubbed the back of his head. "It's nothing, just telling my friend where I'll be." He pocketed the phone and grabbed his suitcase handle. "What are you doing back here?"

"Just getting Rachel's suitcase, she's busy looking over her checklist." His uncle shook his head. "Takes after her mom in that regards." He glanced down at Rad. "You're probably too young to remember, but us and your parents had this camping trip to Black Hills when you were-three, was it?-and Joy planned the whole thing out." He grinned slyly. "Must have been the reporter in her."

"Oh." Rad only nodded along, because the mention of the camping trip made his brow furrow. The Autobot base was located in Black Hills, could he and Rachel have met High Wire there after all? ' _It still doesn't make any sense, and I doubt out parents would have let us wander off by ourselves.'_ What happened during their meeting with High Wire was as much a mystery as to what went on with the Sakura Cards. _'And it looks like Kero and High Wire do have something in common; they're both just as secretive with what they know.'_

Perhaps it wasn't fair to be hard on them, but on the other hand High Wire's secrecy hadn't almost gotten him killed before.

Rad glanced at his bedroom as he left, and was still nervous as he followed Rachel and her parents out of the apartment, his stomach churning. He wanted to be excited to spend the weekend with his aunt and uncle, but there had been a _reason_ he wanted to stay with Rachel.

His relatives were flakes; mean of him to think, but growing up all he'd seen was his uncle pursuing his archeological interests with the same zeal Rad's own parents had, while Aunt Joy was constantly on the look-out for a news scoop.

In some bitterly ironic way, Rad realized maybe staying with his aunt and uncle _would_ have a silver lining; they wouldn't notice if he was gone.

 _'That was morbid.'_ Rad thought, and once the group arrived at the car parked out on the curb, the blond waited his turn to toss his suitcase into the trunk of the car. He unshouldered his backpack to put on his lap when he climbed into the backseat, and it was strange to see Rachel in the backseat than in the driver's. Even the Autobots let Rachel pretend to be the driver.

"Have a good trip, Ray." Rad mumbled, feeling awkward by the whole thing.

Rachel snorted as she pulled him into a one-armed hug. " _Exam_ , a trip is something you do for fun."

Rad flushed, but smirked at her. "So you're no fun after all, Carlos was right then."

The older blonde huffed as she brought him into a headlock and ran her knuckles over the top of his head. "No fun, huh? We'll see about that." Despite himself, Rad found himself laughing as Rachel kept giving him a noogie, and her other hand tickled his side until his face started turning red.

"Okay, Rachel, knock it off." Aunt Joy said, her face stern. "You're going to make Bradley pass out."

Ice water ran down Rad's spine, his cheerful mood doused as the use of his real name brought him back to reality. Then again, it was always a start to hear that name instead of his nickname. "It's Rad, Aunt Joy. Bradley's my _dad's name_." he crossed his arms, awkward as it was with Rachel still holding him. "When I grow up I'm changing my name to Rad Newell; it's not as plain as Bradley White Junior"

Aunt Joy turned in her seat, her curly red hair falling over her shoulder. "There's nothing wrong with your name."

"I'm a _Junior_ , I want my name to be my own." Rad retorted sullenly.

Aunt Joy scrunched her own. "Why would you want Cindy's then? Even Cindy doesn't want her last name!"

Rad sensed a story behind that, but he wasn't about to drudge up unpleasant memories. He'd heard his mother say she hated her last name too, but he never understood why she despised her hair color-it was a beautiful sunny color. Made him jealous he got his father's darker blond shade instead. Rad was about to go off on his own tangent, but the car pulled up to the curb of Lincoln Elementary.

"Here's your stop, buddy. Do you want a ride back after school?" His uncle asked.

"No, it's okay." Rad replied. He hugged Rachel tightly before releasing her and reluctantly got out the car. "I-I'll see you on Sunday."

"Monday." Rachel corrected him. "I'll be back in the morning, but probably sleep all day so I won't actually be seeing you until the afternoon."

Rad's throat constricted. "I see." He whispered. "Then I hope you do well on your exam!" he rushed out before sprinting away. The blond's eyes pricked with tears, but he wouldn't let them fall. _'She's only going for the weekend, not forever._ ' But four days _felt_ like forever. Tears didn't fall, but Rad wiped his eyes anyway to get rid of the stinging.

He sniffled as he leaned against a fence outside the school, but frowned as his bag started to move. A different kind of churning started in Rad's gut as he unzipped his bag and pulled back as Kero shoved his head out and gulped in deep breaths.

"What are you doing here?!" Rad whispered furiously.

Kero glared back at him. "There was no way I was hiding in your suitcase, and go to the Autobots to be watched by mini-tin can and big tin can? No way!"

"You were going there because Hot Shot wants to talk to you." Rad muttered.

Kero crossed his arms. "Well I don't wanna talk to him."

"You're being really bratty right now." Rad retorted.

"I've been cooped up day in and out, I'd be surprised if even _you_ weren't a touch selfish." Kero snapped.

"Keep your voice down." Rad whispered, and tried to shove the guardian back into his bag. Kero dodged inside, and Rad's hand instead clamped down on a familiar pink book. "Kero, I can't believe you took the Sakura Book out of my suitcase."

Kero suddenly seemed nervous, his eyes shifting back and forth. "The cards don't want to be separated from you." His voice lowered an almost inaudible mutter. "Plus, they don't like that house."

Rad bit his lip as he looked at the cover of the book, and focused on feeling the cards inside. "Is this true?" He was taken aback when a wordless _Yes_ hit him with an almost angry force behind it. "I-I see."

"Told you." Kero said smugly.

Rad scowled and this time he caught the guardian to shove him back in. "I'll leave an air hole, just don't speak or anything."

Kero grumbled, but when Rad's name was called, the guardian did as told and the blond left an opening when he pulled the zipper halfway shut.

Rad looked up to find Carlos riding towards him, balanced on Grindor's skateboard form. "Hey, what's up?"

Carlos rolled around Rad in a circle before stopping. "Nothing much, you?" Rad only stared at him, and Carlos rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "That's right, Ray's supposed to be going for her exams, isn't she?"

" _Left_ for her exams," Rad corrected, his tone cracking a touch, "her parents are probably dropping her off the bus stop right now."

"What?" A new voice called, and Rad glanced up to find Alexis approaching on Sureshock, her expression rather hurt and sad. "She just left? I didn't get to say goodbye though."

Rad shrugged forcefully. "That's just the way it is."

Alexis' cheeks puffed as she glared at him. "You did."

Rad winced, but he wasn't sure why Alexis was worked up about Rachel leaving. He got that she admired his cousin, but to this degree? "S-she'll come back." Alexis only frowned.

Due to the angle, Rad noticed Kelly hurrying up to them on her rollerblades. She blushed when she saw him, and waved. Rad waved back and Kelly's blush spread. Seriously, why was she getting sick all the time? Did she just keep going into cold places after overheating?

Kelly braked when she pulled up next to Alexis. "Rad, Alexis, you interested in coming to another martial arts class after school?"

"And there's my cue to leave." Carlos muttered as he propelled Grindor away from them and towards the bike rack.

Kelly childishly stuck her tongue out at Carlos' retreating form before smiling at Alexis and Rad. "I won't push, but it was nice having you there," her expression twisted, "than just being stuck with _Billy."_

"I get that." Rad replied, while Alexis slapped her forehead.

"I'll be there." She muttered. Kelly beamed, and looked hopefully at Rad.

The blond sighed, but it wasn't like his afternoon was booked. "Sure, count me in again."

Kelly grinned. "Thank you both so much!" she dashed by them, her face flushing to her roots.

Rad frowned, his brow creased in worry. "Does Kelly have a history of getting sick often? Her face is always red when I see her."

Alexis stared at him in disbelief, but only shook her head. "Trust me, if she's sick it's not contagious."

"That still doesn't sound good." Rad pointed out, but Alexis shook her head as she made her way to the bike rack as well.

"I can't believe you forgot about what I told you." He heard her mutter.

Rad frowned. Told him? He tried to think over what she could mean, but all he could think of was Alexis telling him Kelly had a crush on him. _'That's ridiculous though, my 'she's always ill' make more sense, in a rather horrible kind of way.'_

He sighed and instead went to wait on the steps of the school. He sat down on the cement blocks, but frowned as he thought he heard rustling and faint squeaks on the other side of the raised wall that enveloped the steps. He checked his cell phone, but they still had a few minutes before class started. When he saw his friends approaching, he waved. "Come on, you know how our homeroom teacher is!"

Carlos waved it off. "Yeah, yeah."

Alexis huffed. "You know, you really should take things more serious-"

A loud _splash_ cut her off, and Rad's eyes widened as something beaned into his head, wetness running down his neck and shirt. Shreds of a water balloon lie sticking to his skin. Alexis shrieked as another water balloon hit the back of her head, while Carlos shouted in surprise as one hit his back. Rad only had the briefest reprieve before throwing his arms up and felt the second balloon split open and coat his arms.

Obnoxious laughter rang out as Sid's voice yelled, "That's what you tattletales get!"

Rad brought his arms down in time to see Alexis actually swing her backpack at Sid and Seth, her face twisted in fury.

"You're both horrible!" she shouted, but didn't seem to notice a thin book fly out as her swing connected to Seth's shoulder.

Rad's brow furrowed when he heard a buzzing, and a bee tried to land on his arm. The blond swatted it away, but his eyes widened when he realized the water was sticky. "It's not water," he whispered, "it's syrup." His voice rose as more buzzing rang out. "Alexis, Carlos, we're covered in syrup! We have to get inside!"

Both of his friends' eyes widened as the realization hit them too, and the three made a break for the door.

Carlos angrily scuffed his foot on the floor. "I can't believe those jerks did that!"

Alexis was tense as she walked alongside them. "What do you expect from a bully?"

Carlos though settled as he smirked at her. "Who knew you had it in you to be so vicious?"

The brunette huffed as she crossed her arms. "My parents always told me never to back down from a bully."

"Still, it was pretty cool."

Rad listened with one ear, because his thoughts were mostly centered around how he couldn't believe Sid and Seth spent all this time plotting to get them back for how they told a teacher on them. Did they honestly think they wouldn't do the same thing _this_ time? "This sucks, I feel so gross."

"Same." Carlos nodded.

Alexis just grimaced, but took the lead when they arrived at the office. The secretary looked up at them, and Alexis crossed her arms. "We were just assaulted by Sid and Seth with water balloons filled with syrup that attracted bees to us."

The secretary sighed. "Your parent and or guardians will be notified and bring in clean clothes for you to change in. For now, go clean up in the locker rooms."

Alexis frowned. "What about Sid and Seth?"

"They'll likely get detention."

"That's not good enough! Those two keep terrorizing everyone and all they _get_ is detention." Alexis slammed her fist down on the desk. "What needs to happen is for them to get suspended, or better yet- _expelled!_ "

The secretary's eyes narrowed, perhaps indignant about being talked down to by a twelve-year-old. "You will lower your voice and calm yourself. What happens to Sid and Seth is between the principal and their parents."

"And what about the rest of us?" Alexis demanded. "Are you really telling us that we're just supposed to take it?"

"They get punished, that should be good enough." The secretary said, tone rather patronizing. Alexis glowered, her form tensing as Rad could spot her fury rising. The secretary likely saw it too, for their eyes narrowed further, tone warning. "Now if you don't leave, I'll be forced to ring you _all_ up for causing a scene and perhaps you can settle your differences with Sid and Seth in detention."

Alexis froze, and Carlos grimaced while Rad didn't want to be subjected to that again. Alexis gritted her teeth as she wound down, and stormed out of the office. Rad looked at Carlos, who could only shrug as they went their separate ways at the boys' and girls' locker rooms.

"I never knew Alexis could be so scary." Rad said. "Though she definitely has the guts to be President."

"I'd vote for her." Carlos said. Rad raised a brow, and Carlos looked away defensively. "What? She gets on my nerves, but I was totally onboard with Sid and Seth getting kicked out. I'd like them to be gone forever, but I'll take a week or two for them to learn a lesson."

"Yeah, too bad the lesson probably won't stick." Rad muttered.

"Unlike this syrup." Carlos grimaced.

Rad nodded, but as Carlos went to one of the shower stalls, Rad lagged behind and slipped out the back hall that led to the gym. He could hear faint voices from it, and decided to keep his own low when he opened the bag.

Kero floated out, the syrup having slipped into the bag and matted parts of his fur. The guardian's face was indignant and angry. "I swear, kids today have only gotten brattier. Even the ones I knew weren't _this_ bad."

An image of Teacher flashed in his mind, and he remembered Kero's slip when he saw Fight's cloaked form on the television. "I saw a woman, Alexis and Kelly's aunt, and she looked a lot like Fight's human form, except she looked…kinda older. Do you know who I'm talking about?"

Kero frowned, but then he puffed his chest out as he placed his hands on his hips. "I've been stuck inside a book, so how could I know who you mean?"

Rad looked unimpressed. "You're just gonna keep playing dumb until I snap, aren't you?"

Kero snickered as he came over to Rad's shoulder. "You wouldn't hurt me, I'm so cute and fluffy!" he hugged the side of Rad's face, and the blond scowled as sappy fur clung to his cheek.

"You win this round, but I will get the truth!" Rad retorted, and he rolled his eyes as immediately Kero let go and smirked at him. Rad looked away, but gave a smirk of his own when he flicked Kero on the forehead and sent him spinning away. "Now _I_ win this round." Kero turned right side up, and rubbed his forehead as he glared at Rad. "What's the damage though? Can I use Bubbles to save everything?"

"You can use Bubbles, but I don't think it's a good idea to use her on paper. Unlike the Sakura Book, which is magical by itself, your other books are likely to get soggy and break apart." Kero explained.

Rad sighed, but decided it might be too suspicious to use it her on himself anyway. _'This would be so much easier if I could just tell Carlos and Alexis about this.'_ He thought, and pulled his key from around his neck. He concentrated, and with a quiet shout of "Release!" his key elongated into a staff. Rad set his bag on the floor and placed the Sakura Book beside it and Kero sat by them. "Clean Kero, my bag and the Sakura Book, Bubbles!"

A large pile of pink bubbles sprouted from the card, and converged over both Kero and the book. Once it was over, all three were squeaky clean and Rad grabbed the card as it floated back to him.

"Thank you." The blond said before putting Bubbles back into the book. He was unsurprised to see his textbooks had been ruined, but it wasn't a lie to say the syrup had messed them up. He placed the Sakura Book back inside the newly cleaned backpack and Kero slipped inside. Rad transformed the staff back into key form and quickly set about getting into the shower after storing his backpack in a locker.

Though Rad couldn't help grimacing when he realized Rachel would be the one the school called. _'Hopefully it won't worry her.'_

* * *

Rachel couldn't believe how lucky Rad was the school called her just as her father was putting her suitcase into the bus' carriage on the side of it. She rubbed her brow, incredulous as to why two brats would do that. _'I think I just answered my own question.'_

Her mother patted her shoulder. "Don't worry about it, we'll drop off some clean clothes for Rad. You just focus on your exam."

Rachel allowed herself to be pulled into a group hug by her parents. She found herself reluctantly relaxing. "Yeah, I guess I'll try to." She basked in their affection before pulling away, and bit her lip as she got onto the bus. She grabbed a front seat, self-consciously aware she knew most of these students, who in turn only knew _her_ as the 'weird girl that was always being pulled from school'.

Rachel slumped into one of the front seats, and saw her parents wave. She weakly managed to wave back, but her stomach was still forming knots. ' _This isn't off to a great start.'_ She though and watched her parents head back to their car. Behind her, several students were speaking, and she blinked as she realized what it was about.

"Did you hear? Last night there was a news report of some unknown city being discovered underwater!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, they got a tip to use the underwater sonar to look around, and that's where they found the ruins! Already there's talk about who'd lead the expedition; word is they're trying to get Jessica Theist or Carter Sanford."

"That's awesome! I wish I could discover something big like that, maybe some unknown species of dinosaur."

Another student laughed, but it was playful. "You're more likely to find your keys because they fell out of your pocket."

The previous student growled and a soft 'thump' followed. "That's not funny!"

"You know what's more likely to happen? That klutz Becker probably tripping over her own tools!"

Rachel groaned and slumped deeper into her seat. _'I knew I should have come up with a better excuse for my ankle than 'I tripped over my own foot'.'_ She panicked, having been still stuck on her nightmare and _giant robots_ than to be creative.

The group behind her hushed as Marty climbed onto the bus, in his arms a large grocery bag. If Rachel hadn't seen him put away a whole pizza once, she would have believed bringing the bag along to be overkill. Then again, they _were_ going to be on a bus for hours to get to their destination.

"Oh, don't stop on my account." He said as he took the seat across from Rachel. Marty smiled at the blonde disarmingly. "Are you excited about the exam?"

Rachel snorted. "That's kind of an oxymoron, isn't it? I'm in it for the dinosaur bones we're digging up."

"You mean the false bones made of papier-mâché." Marty replied with a wry smile.

Rachel crossed her arms. "My point still stands."

"Then just be sure you don't get them wet or the professor will dock you points." Marty said dryly, but Rachel found it difficult to discern if he was joking or not.

It _sounded_ like a joke, but Paaswell was rather no-nonsense, so it wouldn't surprise her.

And speaking of such, the professor in question came walking onto the bus. He narrowed his eyes, and the cabin was completely silent. No one wanted to fail this exam, because no one wanted to retake it again.

"I want you all to leave the bus in the same condition you got on; neat and clean, no littering or I _will_ find out." Paaswell stated. "There will be no roughhousing or such; your adults and I expect you to act like it, understood?" Everyone grumbled in agreement. "There is only one bathroom, so no shoving or pushing. Let's all make this trip to Wyoming as pleasant as possible, do I make myself clear?"

Once more, everyone rumbled in agreement as the old professor took a seat behind the driver. "And one more thing," Paaswell continued as he glanced over his shoulder at everyone, "there will be no break when we reach the Wyoming dig site; you are all to choose your sections and be responsible for the preservation of any bones you may find." he finished, and nodded to the driver.

The bus started up, and Rachel looked out the window.

She sighed and wondered if seven hours on the road really would fly by. _'And me without a book to read.'_

* * *

"Hot Shot," the yellow mech blinked as he looked down from his berth as Maya appeared on the floor, her expression slightly confused and worried. The bot turned down the television on his shelf to give her his attention, "I was wondering if you were aware of any other alien races that could be on planet?"

Hot Shot blinked. "Not that I'm aware of besides the Wisp-probably-why are you asking?"

"It's just as I was going through the news articles, I found several disturbing reports of a flying saucer being spotted over a town in Roswell, as well as there being reported thefts of cattle and crop circles recently being burned into cornfields."

Hot Shot tilted his head, glancing at his television. "That kinda sounds…fake." He smiled, a bit ironically given who was talking. "Those are the most common occurrences of 'alien' presence out there. Even the movies I sometimes watch have them. I never realized how funny humans were about this stuff." He shook his helm. "But I know you wouldn't just come to me if you didn't know that from your own Internet searches; so, what you got?"

"This." Maya lifted her hand, and above her palm a screen appeared. Hot Shot knelt on the floor as she brought up a grainy video. "There was captured evidence and I thought it would be worth a look-I of course made sure to take it off the Internet in case it proved pertinent."

Hot Shot nodded, his optics glued to the screen as he watched a disc-shaped figure with an oddly pointed front and tail fins zooming across the sky. It swivelled and dip, as though leisurely, but what made Hot Shot realize this couldn't even be a Wisp was the purple light which enveloped the saucer and the _crack_ of air as it vanished from sight.

"Scrap!" Hot Shot's optics shot wide open, and looked seriously down at Maya. "How long has this been going on for?"

Maya frowned as the screen disappeared. "Almost a week ago; why, is there something to it?"

Hot Shot nodded. "You'll have to get Red to take a look at it, but I think what I just saw was a warp drive in action."

Maya frowned. "Is there a difference between this and a warp gate?"

Hot Shot shrugged. "Beats me, I was never really interested in that. Maybe Red or Optimus knows; I just know this isn't good."

"Then I will show this to Red Alert right away." Maya nodded to herself before her form vanished.

Hot Shot sighed as he glanced at the muted television. It was some cheesy soap opera, but he'd gotten surprisingly into it. _'It's so over-the-top it's kind of amazing, really.'_ He thought, but reluctantly turned the screen off. The more important thing was figuring out who got their hands on a warp drive, and if they were a 'Con.

Plus freaking the humans out for some twisted thrill was just plain wrong.

* * *

Rad swore he could still feel the syrup in his hair, but all through the morning it was only the water in his still drying hair that came away on his fingers. He was at least grateful his clothes had been left by the locker room, but slinking into homeroom with most of his classmates snickering because they likely heard the teacher being told the situation didn't help.

Now lunch was almost upon them, and Rad mourned for his lunch that had been destroyed. He hoped the cafeteria had something good at least. _'Well, I can use Sweet.'_ He thought, but blinked as instead of the bell, the intercom buzzed and the student announcer's voice rang out.

 _"Attention everyone, I have been handed an excerpt from a contest winner in a writing competition."_

Rad furrowed his brow, and saw several of his classmates glancing at each other too. What competition? Didn't those only happen in high school?

 _"She's so pretty, with her long blonde hair the color of sunshine that's silky smooth and eyes like glimmering sapphires. Even when her hairs mattered and her eyes are exhausted I just can't help but think she's beautiful."_ The announcer's voice was sappy and dramatic, but Rad noticed that Alexis went stiff. Did she really hate the passage that much? " _She's so smart, nice and I wish she'd smile at me all the time, that she'd notice how I feel about her and-hey!"_

The microphone screeched as it sounded as though there was a struggle for the intercom before the school secretary's voice rang out instead. _"Attention, this has not been authorized by anyone on staff. We will get to the bottom of this prank, that is all."_

Just then, the bell rang. As students began filing out, several shouted and Rad was startled to see Alexis plow by them, muscling her way out of the room without a look back. The blond's brow creased in worry, and he saw Carlos looked just as concerned. The two hurried out, catching hisses from the other students they accidently bumped against.

Rad glanced around, but finally caught sight of Alexis running down the opposite hall. "Alexis! Wait up!" he called, but his friend didn't hear them.

"Come on, let's follow her!" Carlos said and Rad nodded. They sprinted to try and catch up to the brunette, but never managed due to her head start. When Alexis ran into the girl's washroom, Carlos halted abruptly and Rad stopped too. The former grimaced. "I'm not going in there."

Rad bit his lip. "Me either, but how are we gonna ask her what's wrong?"

Faint wailing drifted from the bathroom and Carlos sighed. "This might take awhile." He fished several dollars out of his pocket. "I can go get us some food, you got any money?"

Rad furrowed his brow as he dug around his backpack before finding loose change. "I know it's lunch and all, but how's this gonna help?"

"Crying tires you out," Carlos said wisely, "Alexis is going to need the energy. Plus my lunch is ruined."

Rad snorted. "So's mine." He replied. While Carlos left for the cafeteria, Rad leaned against the bathroom door, distinctly uncomfortably as he listened to Alexis crying inside. Should he say something? Would it only make it worse? "W-what made you upset? Can I help?"

Abruptly, watery laughter rang out and Alexis' cracked voice replied, "You don't even know what happened, do you?"

Rad was immensely confused. "No…" he answered carefully. "I'd like to understand though." There was no reply, and the crying quieted. For a long time, it was silent, but then soft footsteps echoed until Alexis was standing in the archway.

Her eyes were puffy and red-rimmed, mouth pulled into a frown. "You wanna understand?" she asked quietly, voice hoarse. Rad hesitantly nodded. Alexis breathed in deeply, eyes closing. "I…the passage was…was ready from my d-diary." Her voice hushed over the last word, so quiet Rad barely heard it.

But he had. Rad furrowed his brow. "So what everyone heard was a story you wrote? That's awful!"

Alexis jerked back, her eyes snapping open. The green in her eyes blazed. "It wasn't a story!" she snapped, but grimaced and looked away. "It was real." Her cheeks burned red. "My crush was broadcasted all over the school." She tensed up, eyes wide and expression tight.

Rad blinked, a bit floored when he realized what she meant. "So you like…girls?"

Alexis flushed redder. "I'm not sure, but it's always just been," she bit her lip, "her." She closed her eyes in anguish. "And now everyone knows."

"But there was never a name mentioned." Rad pointed out, but Alexis shook her head.

"Don't you see? Whoever has my diary knows it's me!" Alexis' expression turned fearful. "They know who I like and I'm…I'm scared. What if they tell everyone? All my hopes, my dreams, my thoughts are in that book, and now someone is looking through it!" she hugged herself, eyes squeezed shut.

Rad had seen Alexis scared and upset, but not like _this_. She was always the level-headed one, the one who had a grasp on what they wanted in life and Rad admired that. "I'll help you look for it." He offered.

Alexis furrowed her brow. "You will?"

Rad nodded, smiling faintly. "I'm sure we can find it if we split up. Someone has to have seen something, right?"

"I-I guess." Alexis wiped her eyes, and gave a teary smile back. "Okay then, I'll meet you back here after lunch. My diary's green, with a thin cover and a lock on the side with my name on the front."

"Got it!" Rad said, and waited until Alexis sprinted out of sight before ducking into a supply closet and opening his backpack. Kero floated out and landed on his shoulder. "I can't believe someone would do something so awful!"

"I stand by what I said, kids today." Kero muttered.

Perhaps inappropriate for the current time, but Rad couldn't help imagining Kero sitting on a porch and yelling at kids to get off his lawn and waving a cane at them. The blond snorted, but coughed to cover it as he pulled the Sakura Book out. "Which one do you think would help me the most with this?"

Kero crossed his arms, furrowed his brow. "That's a tough one, isn't it? Finding one book among the whole school?"

Rad tapped his chin. "Could I use Sleep to knock everyone out?"

"You really think you can find it before Sleep's powder wears off?" Kero retorted.

"Yeah…no." Rad replied and looked through the cards he'd sealed, his mind whirling. _'Can't use Wood, can't use Sleep, or Sword, or Glow, or Sha-'_ Rad stopped, his eyes widening. "Wait, I can use Shadow to scout the school. A shadow is something everyone has, and he could bring it back."

"Good idea, but I'd advise against him risking dragging it through the school." Kero said. "Shadow might be cloaked, but the book wouldn't be-remember how your mecha friend was just seen floating on an invisible dragon?"

Rad grimaced. "Yeah, I remember." He frowned before snapping his fingers. "I'll have him hide it and get it once the coast is clear." The blond took off his key and held it out before him. "Key of the star, with powers burning bright," a golden circle formed under him, wind picking up as his key floated above his palm, encompassed in a white light, "reveal the staff and shine your light- _release!_ " The key form expanded until it was a wand that Rad grabbed a hold of.

The blond tossed Shadow's card in the air, where it stayed put by an invisible wall, and Rad pointed at it, the wings of his wand glowing as they expanded. "Shadow!" he called, and the spirits form appeared on the wall in front of him. "Search the school and find a thin book with a green cover and a lock on the side where it'll have the same 'Alexis' written on it. Once you find it, hide the book and come back to me."

The spirit's form broke apart, and slid in many parts under the door.

Rad let his staff turn back into a key before packing the rest of the cards and book into his bag. Kero reluctantly climbed back inside and Rad shouldered it. "Might as well not let Shadow and Alexis do all the work. I wonder where I should start looking though?"

"Where do the trouble makers in your school hang out? That's the kind of person who'd think doing this would be 'funny'." Kero pointed out.

"I guess detention." Rad replied, grimacing. "Though there's no way I'm sticking around in case Sid and Seth are there." He muttered. The blond exited the closet, and sprinted towards the detention room; though when he peered in through the window, in some part he was relieved he couldn't spot the bullies, but on the other angered they _weren't there_.

Rad huffed quietly as he pulled back, but froze as he noticed Shadow slinking back up to him, connecting to his own shadow before Rad hurried to the corner. "That was quick, I take it you found it then?"

Shadow didn't so much as speak in words than let his magic flow with Rad's, and the blond closed his eyes as in the hazy connection he saw Shadow find the book in question being snickered over by a thin, gangly boy and a stouter one on the steps of the school.

Rad scowled as he recognized Seth and Sid instantly. _'I can't believe I didn't realize it was them.'_ He chastised himself, but watched as the moment Seth put Alexis' diary down, he slithered in and dragged it over the steps and dropped it into the bush by the steps.

Opening his eyes, the blond smiled. "Thanks, Shadow. Good job." He said, and the card seemed to be radiate pride before returning to his card form and floated back to Rad, who caught it and held the card out to Kero to put back in the book. "Now I got to make sure the coast is clear."

When Rad got to the front entrance, he hung back to cautiously look out the door, but once there was no sight of the bullies, the blond quickly retrieved the diary and set off to find Alexis.

* * *

"Hot Shot," Red Alert began, "I know you're curious about the video, but staring over my shoulder isn't going to make me work faster."

The yellow mech shuffled back sheepishly, but with just him, Red and Maya currently in the command room, he couldn't resist his own dig. "Would you prefer it was Optimus standing behind you?" he grinned slyly when Red's faceplace flushed, and he heard Maya giggling.

Red Alert tensed up, looking pointedly at the screen. "Must you be so immature?"

Hot Shot chuckled. "It's so easy to rile you up though. If I knew you got so flustered so easily I'd do this more often."

"Please don't." Red Alert muttered.

Whatever had been Hot Shot's next comment was interrupted by Optimus walking into the room, his gaze on the screen. "How goes it, Red Alert?"

"As well as can be, all things considered." Red Alert replied. "I've concluded that Hot Shot was indeed right, whoever is in the video was using a warp drive." Hot Shot grinned proudly to himself.

Maya looked around at the three of them, her lips pulled into a frown. "If I may ask, what exactly makes a warp drive so troublesome compared to a warp gate?"

"While both function in very much the same manner: of teleporting from location to the next, a warp gate is an external thing, one that must be manually handled to activate by putting in co-ordinates." Red Alert explained.

"A warp _drive_ though is an internal modification that is installed to connect with a mech's neural network. All one needs to do in order to activate it is merely think of the location they wish to be in and that's where they'll appear. Unlike a gate, a warp drive is harder to counteract because the only center is one mech, instead of an outside computer." Red Alert finished.

"Also," Optimus added, "a war drive is extremely rare. I can honestly only think of one mech who possesses one. Red Alert, have you checked the database?"

"I have, but I couldn't find a match." Red Alert's lips pressed into a tight line. "The small parts of the actual vessel not covered by the saucer isn't enough to confirm anything. He could also have changed forms to take on an earth flying craft, but I won't be able to discern anything until I have digitally removed the saucer part."

"I take it from your tone," Hot Shot would deny it, but he jumped at the sound of Sideways' voice coming from behind him. The yellow mech turned around and found the other bot was leaning against the back wall, "that this mech isn't a friendly."

"No, he isn't." Red Alert replied.

Hot Shot looked incredulously from Red to Optimus and wondered how they could be so calm before rounding on Sideways. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough." Sideways answered cryptically.

Hot Shot vented heavily, but the ringing of the mini-con alarm blaring overhead drowned it out. "Guess we gotta go find the new mini."

"Optimus, permission to stay behind and continue analyzing the video?" Red Alert questioned.

The red and blue bot nodded. "Permission granted." He said, and grabbed the medic's shoulder. "And I would not want you in the field anyway given Megatron's current hostility towards you."

"I am capable of protecting myself." Red Alert said stiffly, but smiled faintly as he placed his own servo over Optimus' briefly. "Though your concern does warm my spark. Though tonight I will be in the lab continuing with other projects, so I will be unable to retire to your quarters."

Hot Shot blinked, and looked away as he felt like he was intruding on a private moment, as well feeling like he just got more information than he ever wanted to know. ' _How the frag did I not realize they were together sooner?'_ he thought as he dazedly made his way to the warp gate.

"Hey, Hot Shot." Sideways said quietly once he caught up with the yellow mech. "Are Optimus and Red Alert…together?" Hot Shot blinked, but nodded. The other mech's lack of expression was reflected in his event tone, "I see."

Hot Shot frowned slightly. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's just, well, isn't a little… _inappropriate_ for them to be together? Optimus is the Autobot leader, shouldn't be hold himself more professionally?" Sideways questioned. "Unless of course I've been out of the loop too long."

Hot Shot frowned. "What goes on between Optimus and Red is their business. If they want to be together I won't judge."

Sideways held his servos up. "No need to get defensive, I'm just making an observation."

Hot Shot vented. "Sorry, it's just…well, I kind of know where they're coming from." He looked down the floor. "I was close to a subordinate, and while we weren't romantic or together, I was…very attached to him. And…it's nice seeing two bots who are so comfortable together be happy."

"So that's how it is?" Sideways questioned, but his tone was so low and quiet, Hot Shot wondered if he meant to say it out loud.

Hot Shot didn't get a chance to ask though for they arrived at the warp gate, and when the three Star Saber mini-cons come rushing around the corner to stop by his side, the yellow mech blinked as he noticed an orange-pink mini-con peering around the same corner. "Jolt?"

" _Hey,"_ the mini-con beeped sheepishly, but let out a startled squawk as High Wire shoved him into the open, gesturing from him to Hot Shot, _"I'm getting there!"_ he shouted at the gray-blue mini before looking up at the yellow bot. " _Can…can I go with you this time?"_

Hot Shot's grimaced. "Not this time." He replied, and the mini-con slumped. "I'm not…that mad anymore at you, but I just can't get over it."

Jolt nodded, scuffing his foot on the floor. _"I see. Be safe then."_ He turned and walked back around the corner, High Wire following after him.

Hot Shot didn't like being cold, but things weren't going to get better overnight. Though at least he didn't feel the immediate stab of hurt and anger when he looked his mini-con partner anymore. When the warp gate started up, he got his processor back to the current mission.

Focus, he needed to stay focused.

* * *

It was subtle, but Rad noticed how much, well, not happy per say, but less bleak than she was during lunch. Though maybe it was only because he was siting behind her on Sureshock, as High Wire wasn't available to cart him around and it wouldn't be fair to make Kelly and Alexis wait.

Speaking of, Kelly skated beside them, her brow furrowed. "Rad, didn't you have a bike?"

"Yeah, but it's…in the shop." Rad replied. "H- _it's_ there for a tune-up, should be done in a few days."

Kelly's brow creased further, but she shrugged. "Okay then."

Rad breathed a sigh of relief, and wished he could scold Sureshock for finding his nervousness amusing. As they reached the dojo, he wondered if Teacher had any other classes during the day than just ones after school. His question died the moment he walked in, and his eyes narrowed when he saw Billy there again. "So you came back, huh?"

Billy snorted, crossing his arms. "I like this class, probably the only one." He muttered. "Oh, and I also brought Fred." He added as an afterthought.

The stouter boy looked nervous. "Yeah, the scary-I mean, _nice_ lady said I could try out." He smiled sheepishly at Teacher, who wasn't even looking at him.

She only had her arms crossed and her expression was stern. "You're late."

"Sorry Aunt Mei, there was a bit of a transportation problem." Alexis said.

Teacher sighed, and waved it off. "Just go get changed. We'll take up sparring with the training dummies when you come back."

Billy smirked. "Hear that Rad? Looks like you'll have a great career path ahead of you."

Rad growled in the back of his throat, teeth gritted. He blinked when Billy and Fred both froze up, but furrowed his brow. He couldn't be that intimidating, could he? No, their gaze was behind him, and when Rad turned around, he started seeing red. "What are _you two_ doing here?" he hissed as Sid and Seth walked in. "Come here to learn how to beat people up?"

Sid had the nerve to look hurt. "What do you mean? I'd never abuse this that way."

Alexis gritted her teeth. "Just like you didn't throw water balloons full of syrup at Carlos, Rad, and I this morning?"

"They did _what?"_ Kelly asked, and glared at the two bullies.

"Enough." Teacher stepped in. Though she didn't look pleased, she looked just as sour to continue her sentence, "Leave your troubles outside of my dojo. Though be warned," she gave the two bullies an icy stare, "if you cause any disturbances you will not be allowed back."

Seth looked down. "Yes, ma'am."

Sid nodded along, his expression contrite, but when Teacher turned away, his and Seth both smirked at Rad and Alexis.

"Go change!" Teacher shouted, and the kids all broke for the locker room.

Rad kept his distance from Sid and Seth, and for once didn't begrudge Billy's presence as he and Fred hung back closer to him. He kept his attention mostly on changing into his white uniform, but forewent the locker to put his backpack in and turned on his phone.

"Don't you think it's _weird_ that 'teacher' looks like that woman everyone's on the look-out for?" Seth asked loudly. Rad gritted his teeth.

Sid smirked. "It is, isn't it? I bet we'd get a reward for busting her, but what do I need money for?" he laughed. "My parents are rich, and a new donation to the school is keeping me from getting expelled."

Rad's teeth hurt from his jaw being clenched so hard. He worried he might chip a tooth. _'Don't rise to the bait, don't rise to the bait.'_

He stormed out of the room, and Billy and Fred hurried after him.

* * *

It was dark when they reached the destination and began their search, optics needing to adjust to the pitch blackness around them. Hot Shot was always eerily reminded of Cybertron in the strangest ways, to the same blue sky and dark nights. Though on Cybertron genuine night had been a bit of a rare thing with the lights of the city always drowning out the night. Though when rolling blackouts happened, things got dark _fast_.

Hot Shot blinked as headlights flooded the area, and glanced at Optimus. "Sir, what about the Decepticons?"

"For now it is safer to ensure we don't accidently step on the mini-con." Optimus said gravely.

Hot Shot grimaced, once more reminded of his tiny the minis were. He hefted the Star Saber against his shoulder, though awkwardly made sure the tip hadn't struck anyone. The mech didn't want to admit it, but he felt…lesser without Sword's confidence brimming inside of him. Hot Shot shook his helm. _'No, I don't need enhancements to deal with this.'_

"Optimus," Smokescreen called, "I've been on duty tracking that weird organic that stole the mini-con panel, but it's making my processor ache just looking at nothing. Could we switch out when we get back to base?"

The red and blue bot glanced back. "Very well, it is time for a roster change. Any volunteers?"

Hot Shot hemmed and hawed, his processor dying a little at the thought of sitting and looking at a screen for hours on end. To his surprise, Sideways spoke up, "I will, sir. I don't mind."

Optimus nodded, and looked back ahead.

Hot Shot narrowed his optics at Sideways. "You really serious about that? As a drifter I expected you to be a little more…not sitting still, for one."

The other mech shrugged. "Really, I don't mind." He repeated. "I think learning about these energy beings is the best way understand more about them."

"Then the first thing to know is that whenever this organic's signature appears, it keeps popping in and out. It's really frustrating to track down, especially knowing she's got the mini-con and her signal masks it's so we can't track that either." Smokescreen explained.

Hot Shot grimaced. That would have driven him to the edge. He paused as rustling of leaves caught his attention, and his headlights flooded the area. His optics caught a glimpse of blue, and hurried after it as it made a break through the trees. "Hey, wait! We're not here to hurt you!"

Shrill beeping answered him, angry and incredulous almost. It did though give Hot Shot a vague direction of where the mini-con had run off to. The yellow mech hurried after it, but made sure to keep his optics underpede just so he didn't accidently step on the mini.

"Seriously, we're the good guys, you know, the Autobots?" Hot Shot called, but the beeping he received sounded distinctly rude. "I'm guessing that wasn't very nice."

"We must understand Hot Shot, that these mini-cons have a very different view of the war than we do." Optimus said, as he placed a calming servo on Hot Shot's shoulder. The red and blue mech then knelt to be more the mini-cons level. "Will you come with us?"

Another rude beep answered him.

Hot Shot bristled. "You can't talk to Optimus that way, even if I don't know hat you said!" he snapped, and commed. the base. "Maya, can you see where this little punk is with Lasberbeak?"

 _"No, it's too dark and the mini-con is too small for Lasberbeak's optical set-wait._ " Maya cut herself off, and her tone raised a little. "Be careful, I can see the Decepticons just south of you."

"Mechs, cut your lights." Optimus said, and the rest followed suit as he doused his headlights.

As if on cue, the clouds covering the moon floated away and bathed the murky forest in a bright cast. "That's just our luck." Smokescreen muttered.

Hot Shot grimaced, because he too could see the shapes of the Decepticons in the distance. Though part of him couldn't deny wanting to get into a scrap just to vent his frustration. Overhead he could hear an engine roar the _chop chop_ of rotor blades.

Shrill beeping drew his attention, and Hot Shot saw Sideways had used his stealth-skills to sneak up on the mini. It wriggled in his servos, slamming a fist onto his digits. "I got it!"

"Hey, keep your voice down-" Smokescreen was interrupted with laser fire, shots striking the ground and trees around them. "Looks like its too dark for them to get a shot in too."

A shot nearly hit Sideways' pede though, and he went careening back, knocking against a tree as his servo flailed. His digits slipped, and the mini-con was sent sailing into the air. From above, Cyclonus transformed part of his vehicle mode to grab the mini-con.

"I got it, I got it! Hahahaha!" The helicopter's deranged laughter trailed behind even as he warped away.

"Scrap!" Hot Shot shouted, clenching his fist as the rest of the Decepticons warped away. Though he was angry the mini-con had been captured, he still rushed to Sideways and helped him up. "Are you okay?"

"I lost the mini-con." The mech said sullenly.

Optimus stared off where the 'Cons had disappeared too, his shoulder tense, but he didn't let it show in his voice. "We might have lost this time, but there is next time. Do not despair, let us return to base."

Hot Shot vented, but did as he was told.

* * *

In Lincoln, the sky turned dark and starry in the night, everything quiet as midnight approached. In the park, the sundial rested on a bed of sand, but slowly a glowing, robed figure holding an hour glass with orange sand swirling inside appeared.

The hourglass was clear and, as midnight struck, it was turned over and the sand inside began to fall.

And everything started to rewind.


	25. Chapter 24: Timewarp Part 2

**Chapter 24: Timewarp Part 2**

* * *

Between scoops of his cereal, Rad alternated between eating and making sure Ray wasn't about to start choking. She looked...weird, with her eyes roving over her notepad. She'd checked that list five times already! But what made him anxious was her downing a cup of coffee without taking a breath. "You sure you don't- I don't know, breath and not choke?"

"There's no time for that." Rachel retorted. "I lost track of time and stupidly thought it was Thursday so I have to make sure I didn't forget anything." she pointed at one of the checkpoints. "High Wire's at the Autobot base?"

"Took him there last night." Rad confirmed reluctantly, though it was awkward when he met up with Hot Shot who still didn't seem to know where Rad fell on the 'friend or not' scale. Rad knew he had no right to give his opinion, but he hoped it would be friends again.

"Got your suitcase packed for the weekend?"

"Yes." Rad answered, his tone more of a growl. Though he frowned as he thought it felt familiar.

Rachel narrowed her eyes, more than likely picking up the tone. Rad found himself more unnerved by the circles under her eyes and the messy state of her hair as she glared at him. "Don't use that voice on me, there was no other option but for you to stay with my parents. You're too young to be on your own."

Rad sullenly continued eating. He hated it when Ray made sense, because it made him feel ridiculous about it. "I _know_ I can't live on my own, I just don't want you to go." ' _Wait...didn't this already happen...?'_

Rachel crossed her arms, but her mouth was a softer frown than usual. "This is for my final exam, it's important to me. I would never stand in the way of the same for you."

Rad closed his eyes, because he honestly wasn't sure if that would be true. A part of him wanted to believe her, but the other part only reminded him she didn't believe in magic anyway. ' _I want to tell you, but I'm scared of how you'll react.'_ Rad frowned again. _'Seriously, haven't I said this?'_

The sound of a knocking on the door caught Rad's attention, and he looked up incredulously as Rachel opened it, allowing two his aunt and uncle entry. "What...? I thought-I thought you were coming at 8:45 for Ray?" Something still niggled at him, as though something was wrong.

Aunt Joy smiled serenely at him. "Change of plans kiddo," she ruffled Rad's hair and he blinked, too dazed to pout, "I talked with Rachel last night and we agreed it was better to kill two birds with one stone." She gently nudged his shoulder. Rachel frowned this time, her brow furrowed. "We're dropping you off at school before taking Ray to the bus stop, now go get your bag and your uncle can help you with your suitcase."

"I can do it myself!" Rad said, wincing as it came out too sharp, and he hurried to his room. Something was going on. He pulled on his backpack, and looked around his room. The blond opened his drawer he set up for Kero, but the guardian wasn't in there. "Kero!" he hissed quietly. "Get out here now, something weird's going on."

"Really? How so?"

Rad jumped, whirling around as he heard Kero, but found no one there. Slowly it dawned on him where the voice came from. The blond unshouldered his backpack and his expression cracked in annoyance at Kero sticking his head out of the bag. He pulled Kero out by the scruff of his neck. "What do you think you were doing?"

Kero smiled nervously. "I was going to follow you to school."

Rad huffed. "You're going to the Autobot base after I get done school so Hot Shot can talk to you."

Kero frowned as he crossed his arms. "Don't wanna talk to _him_."

"Too bad." Rad retorted.

"Hey, buddy, you talking to someone in here?" His uncle asked as he poked his head into the room.

Rad jumped as he dropped Kero onto his bed, and pulled out his cell phone and made a show of waving it around, and nervously rubbed the back of his head. "It's nothing, just telling my friend where I'll be." He pocketed the phone and put his backpack on again. "What are you doing back here?"

"Just getting Rachel's suitcase, she's busy looking over her checklist." His uncle shook his head. "Takes after her mom in that regards." He glanced down at Rad. "You're probably too young to remember, but us and your parents had this camping trip to Black Hills when you were-three, was it?-and Joy planned the whole thing out." He grinned slyly. "Must have been the reporter in her."

"Oh." Rad only nodded, because there still felt like something off about everything. The blond lagged back, and glanced at Kero. "Pick up when I call later," he whispered, "still gotta talk about what's going on."

Kero rolled her with a frown, and nodded. Rad looked ahead, and as grabbed his suitcase before he hurried down the hall, and he followed Rachel and her parents out of the apartment, his stomach churning. He wanted to be excited to spend the weekend with his aunt and uncle, but there had been a _reason_ he wanted to stay with Rachel.

His relatives were flakes; mean of him to think, but growing up all he'd seen was his uncle pursuing his archeological interests with the same zeal Rad's own parents had, while Aunt Joy was constantly on the look-out for a news scoop.

In some bitterly ironic way, Rad realized maybe staying with his aunt and uncle _would_ have a silver lining; they wouldn't notice if he was gone.

 _'That was morbidly familiar.'_ Rad thought, and once the group arrived at the car parked out on the curb, the blond waited his turn to toss his suitcase into the trunk of the car. He unshouldered his backpack to put on his lap when he climbed into the backseat, and Rachel took a pocket mirror out of her jacket and began fixing her hair.

"Have a good trip, Ray." Rad mumbled.

Rachel smiled tiredly as she pulled him into a one-armed hug. " _Exam_ , a trip is something you do for fun."

Rad flushed, but smirked at her. "So you're no fun after all, Carlos was right then."

The older blonde huffed as she brought him into a headlock and ran her knuckles over the top of his head. "No fun, huh? We'll see about that." Despite himself, Rad found himself laughing as Rachel kept giving him a noogie, and her other hand tickled his side until his face started turning red.

"Okay, Rachel, knock it off." Aunt Joy said, her face stern. "You're going to make Bradley pass out."

Ice water ran down Rad's spine, his cheerful mood doused as the use of his real name brought him back to reality. It gave him another feeling of deja vu, and he settled down. "Name's not Bradley." he still insisted.

Aunt Joy frowned. "Why? It's a nice name."

Rad huffed. "It's my _dad's_ name. I don't want to be Bradly White Junior."

"Kids." Aunt Joy shook her head.

Rad crossed his arms as he leaned back in his seat, but eventually the car pulled up to the curb of Lincoln Elementary.

"Here's your stop, buddy. Do you want a ride back after school?" His uncle asked.

"No, it's...fine." Rad replied, wanting to just have the feeling he changed something. He hugged Rachel tightly before releasing her and reluctantly got out the car. "I-I'll see you on Sunday."

"Monday." Rachel corrected him. "I'll be back in the morning, but probably sleep all day so I won't actually be seeing you until the afternoon."

Rad's throat constricted, tears stinging his eyes as his chest constricted. "I see." He whispered. "Then I hope you do well on your exam!" Rad tried to run, but Rachel's arm shot out. He looked astonished as her face was torn between confusion and sadness. Rachel's other hand rose, and Rad let out a ragged breath as she wiped his tears away.

"I'll miss you." she said softly.

"Miss you more." Rad replied quietly. Rachel smiled briefly before letting him go. The boy made his way away from the car, and dragged himself over to the sidewalk. He looked over his shoulder, and the car began to drive away. Rad sighed, and wiped his other eye.

"Rad!"

Rad looked up to find Carlos riding towards him, balanced on Grindor's skateboard form. "Hey, what's up?" As soon as it was out, the blond felt another weird sense of familiarity.

Carlos rolled around Rad in a circle before stopping. "Nothing much, you?" Rad stared at him, and Carlos rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "That's right, Ray's supposed to be going for her exams, isn't she?"

" _Left_ for her exams," Rad corrected, his tone cracking still, "as in just left."

"What?" Alexis called, and Rad looked over and saw Alexis approaching on Sureshock, her expression rather hurt and sad. "She just left? I didn't get to say goodbye though."

Rad shrugged forcefully. "That's just the way it is."

Alexis' cheeks puffed as she glared at him. "You did."

Rad winced, but he wasn't sure why Alexis was worked up about Rachel leaving. Didn't she already have crush on someone? _'Wait, what?'_ "S-she'll come back." Alexis only frowned.

Due to the angle, Rad noticed Kelly hurrying up to them on her rollerblades. Rad blinked as she didn't even look at them, frowning with a dazed look in her eyes. "Kelly?"

The girl didn't hear him as she kept on skating.

Rad furrowed his brow. That was weird. "Is she okay?"

"Is she ever?" Carlos drawled.

Alexis glared at him. "Why you-"

Rad decided to take off, and could feel both Grindor and Sureshock wishing they could do the same. The blond shook his head, and he sighed as he went to wait on the steps of the school. He sat down on the cement blocks, but frowned as he thought he heard rustling and faint squeaks on the other side of the raised wall that enveloped the steps. He checked his cell phone, but they still had a few minutes before class started. When he saw his friends approaching, he waved, but paused.

Unease settled in his stomach, and Rad got to his feet. The blond looked around, and noticed a teacher inside coming out of a classroom. "Hey, teach!" he called abruptly, and the teacher looks up as loud squeaking rang out, scratchy _pop pop_ -ing following.

Carlos frowned as he reached Rad and gripped his shoulder. "Hey, man, what's up with calling the teacher?"

Rad didn't _know_ why he called the teacher. "I...I..." Alexis frowned at him too, and the teacher walked out of the door.

"Yes?"

Rad gulped as he looked up at the teacher. "I was wondering if...you knew what our history teacher was doing for our test Monday."

The teacher snorted, half-amused and half-irritated. "Sorry, Mr. White, but you'll have to study for the test like the rest of your class."

Rad rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, that was silly of me. Whoop." he chuckled as he walked inside, where his friends gave him weird stares.

"Seriously, what's up with you?" Carlos asked. "You feeling okay?"

"You do seem rather...spacey." Alexis added.

Rad shrugged, once more constrained by secrecy. _'It would be so much easier to tell them about magic-well, if Hot Shot can convince Kero later, then maybe telling my friends won't be much harder either.'_ he thought. "I'm fine, just...fine."

He didn't say anymore as they made it to homeroom class.

* * *

Rachel couldn't believe how she almost flaked on the biggest exam of the school year. Written exams were one thing, but going out and digging up bones with their own hands was another. She regretted being half-hearted in her goodbye to her parents, because she was dead tired and the coffee hadn't picked her up like she thought.

Rachel slumped into one of the front seats, and saw her parents leaving in their car. She rubbed her forehead, grimacing as she remembered how her brain failed her and tricked itself into thinking it was Thursday and not Friday. ' _This isn't off to a great start.'_ She thought, and hoped she wouldn't hinder her exam. The blonde curled against the window, closing her eyes to try and rest, but behind her, several students were speaking, and she furrowed her brow as she realized what it was about.

"Did you hear? Last night there was a news report of some unknown city being discovered underwater!"

"Really?"

"Yeah, they got a tip to use the underwater sonar to look around, and that's where they found the ruins!"

"That's awesome! I wish I could discover something big like that, maybe some unknown species of dinosaur."

Another student laughed, but it was playful. "You're more likely to find your keys because they fell out of your pocket."

The previous student growled and a soft 'thump' followed. "That's not funny!"

"You know what's more likely to happen? That klutz Becker probably tripping over her own tools!"

Rachel found herself having a case of déjà vu, but the words frazzled her as she looked out the window, eyes bleary. The blonde frowned as she spotted Marty getting out a passenger side of a car, but the other side opening as a tall man with brown hair flecked with silver along the temples got out of the driver's side. She tilted her head as the brown-haired man shoved a box covered with a cloth into his hands and ruffled his hair.

Marty swatted the hand away and huffed as he got onto the bus, with the group behind Rachel hushing up. "Oh, don't stop on my account." He said as he took the seat across from Rachel. Marty smiled at the blonde disarmingly. "Are you excited about the exam?"

Rachel snorted. "That's kind of an oxymoron, isn't it? I'm in it for the dinosaur bones we're digging up."

"You mean the false bones made of papier-mâché." Marty replied with a wry smile.

Rachel crossed her arms. "My point still stands."

"Then just be sure you don't get them wet or the professor will dock you points." Marty said dryly, but Rachel found it difficult to discern if he was joking or not.

It _sounded_ like a joke, but Paaswell was rather no-nonsense, so it wouldn't surprise her.

Rachel looked outside again, and saw the other man getting back into the car and driving off, but then it clicked why he seemed familiar. "You know Professor Kinomoto?"

Marty blinked, but placed the covered box onto his lap. "He and my uncle live together."

Rachel furrowed her brow when he said nothing else, but she realized what he meant. "Ah." She nodded, but then smiled slyly at him. "'As a professor aide, you know everyone', huh?"

Marty's cheeks tinted pink, and he looked sheepish. "Well it would have been a bit awkward just to blur it out then. Besides, I honestly didn't know he would be working there until I saw him."

"Easy, I'm just teasing." Rachel said, but quieted down as their paleontology professor came walking onto the bus. He narrowed his eyes, and the cabin was completely silent. No one wanted to fail this exam, because no one wanted to retake it again.

"I want you all to leave the bus in the same condition you got on; neat and clean, no littering or I _will_ find out." Paaswell stated. "There will be no roughhousing or such; your adults and I expect you to act like it, understood?" Everyone grumbled in agreement. "There is only one bathroom, so no shoving or pushing. Let's all make this trip to Wyoming as pleasant as possible, do I make myself clear?"

Once more, everyone rumbled in agreement as the old professor took a seat behind the driver. The bus started up, and Rachel looked out the window.

Another sense of déjà vu settled over her. _'This better not start becoming a problem.'_

* * *

The yellow mech watched his television screen, frowning as he watched the two humans on screen profess their secret love to each other. _'This feels familiar. Didn't they already do this? Am I seeing a re-run?'_

"Hot Shot," the yellow mech blinked as he looked down from his berth as Maya appeared on the floor, her expression slightly confused and worried. The bot turned down the television on his shelf to give her his attention, "I was wondering if you were aware of any other alien races that could be on planet?"

Hot Shot blinked. "Not that I'm aware of besides the Wisp-probably-why are you asking?"

"It's just as I was going through the news articles, I found several disturbing reports of a flying saucer being spotted over a town in Roswell, as well as there being reported thefts of cattle and crop circles recently being burned into cornfields."

Hot Shot tilted his head, glancing at his television. "That kinda sounds…familiar." He frowned as something niggled in the back of his processor. "I could have sworn you said this already."

Maya frowned. "Are you certain?"

Hot Shot nodded. "Yeah, I…it's just there but I can't quite _see_ it." He shook his head roughly. "Keep talking, maybe something will click."

"Very well." Maya lifted her hand, and above her palm a screen appeared. "I came to show you this. It was caught on film in Roswell yesterday evening." Hot Shot knelt on the floor as she brought up a grainy video. "There was captured evidence and I thought it would be worth a look-I of course made sure to take it off the Internet in case-"

"-it proved pertinent." Hot Shot finished, and both he and Maya looked astonished.

She blinked slowly. "Yes, that's what I was going to say. This is strange."

Hot Shot nodded, his optics glued to the screen as he watched a disc-shaped figure with an oddly pointed front and tail fins zooming across the sky. It swivelled and dip, as though leisurely, but what made Hot Shot come to a realization was the purple light which enveloped the saucer and the _crack_ of air as it vanished from sight.

"Scrap!" Hot Shot's optics shot wide open, and looked down at Maya. "Okay, I know I've said that before, in this same situation. What is going on here?"

Maya frowned as the screen disappeared. "I concur, there is a strange relay in my systems. It's as though I reset, but I am not a clean program."

Hot Shot glanced at his television, then down at Maya as he thought it over, reluctant to think it, but it was slowly seeming that way. "Do you think it's one of these magic cards? I know they're different from what you remember, but could one of them do something so…what would this be anyway?"

Maya's expression became thoughtful. "I admit I did not see Clow Reed perform his magic often, he mostly kept it out of sight. Though from what I heard from others, some of what he could do was strangely…arbitrary. Such as making sweets from other things, or making someone tell the truth. Causing déjà vu would not surprise me."

Hot Shot nodded. "Still, let's see if we can jog anyone else before we bring this up. I'll feel kind of silly if I'm the only one." Plus he didn't want another repeat of the dragon-Create thing. "Get Red Alert to look at the video and ask about someone who can use a warp drive. Maybe that will ring a bell or something."

Maya nodded. "What will you do though?"

"I'm going to try and bring this up to Optimus first." Hot Shot said. With that in mind, he left his room as Maya vanished.

* * *

Perhaps it was with more relief than Rad knew why, but he hadn't spotted Sid and Seth all morning in the hall or at recess. Not that he was complaining because a day without running into those two was a good day. It was just weird them not around. _'They're always bothering_ someone.' He thought.

Though Rad was still annoyed at Kero, and as he ducked into a supply closet at lunch, he made sure the guardian knew it. "Why did you put the Sakura Book in my bag?" he tapped his arm as he leaned against the wall, scowling even though Kero couldn't see it through the phone.

 _"The cards don't want to be alone."_ Kero replied, his tone uneasy.

"Why? They've never had a problem before." Rad furrowed his brow. "Does it have something to do with me going to my aunt and uncles' for the weekend?"

Kero didn't reply at all.

Rad glared at the wall. "It does, doesn't it? Kero, what happened? How did they end up in the attic in the first place?"

 _"That's not the issue here!"_ Kero said a bit too forcefully. _"You said there was something weird going on this morning, what was It about?_ "

 _'That's not very subtle.'_ Rad thought, but for now let Kero have his out. "This morning I could have sworn I already did everything. It all felt like it happened before."

Kero was quiet again, this time more contemplative as he spoke. _"I suspected when I saw we woke up in your bedroom than at your relatives."_

"Wait, what do you mean 'we'? You're going to the Autobot base." Rad said.

Kero's voice turned indignant. " _You're not sending me there!"_

"Why you-" Rad stopped, and he heard Kero make a surprised noise on the other line. "That felt…really familiar."

 _"I was worried about this."_ Kero said quietly. " _The constant déjà vu is the work of a Sakura Card, Time specifically. His powers have to do with, well, the flow of time. It looks like he's rewinding Friday for everyone."_

Rad thought back to that morning, and pursed his lips. "Not everyone. Rachel said she woke up thinking it was Thursday, not Friday."

Kero hummed quietly. _"Then we need to find Time, or he'll keep going and we'll all be stuck in a time loop."_

"Can't everyone else just remember like I do something's wrong?" Rad questioned.

 _"No, only those with magical powers can sense when time's been altered. Rachel probably can sense it too, because she still has potential for magic too despite her insistence it's not real."_ Kero explained. " _And you and I are a given."_

Rad sighed. "Yeah-" he stopped, his eyes widening as he remembered Create. "The Autobots and Decepticons! They're not magical and they've been able to see the cards. Either they're going to know something's up or they're not going to be affected at all."

" _Rad,"_ Kero said sternly, " _you better not be saying what I think you say-"_

"We have to tell the Autobots." Rad interrupted him. "There's no getting around it, no more stalling. We _need_ to explain it."

 _"No."_ Kero said stubbornly. " _We don't."_

"We-" Rad looked at the phone incredulously as a dial tone rang out. "I can't believe-he's even more of a kid than I am!" he grunted in disgust and pocketed his phone. He shook his head, and walked out of the room, frowning as he tried to think of how to get Kero to agree.

"Rad? What were you doing in there?"

The blond jumped, whirling around as both Carlos and Alexis were standing there. "What are you two doing here?"

"We came to see if you wanted to have lunch with us." Alexis said.

"Oh." Rad rubbed the back of his neck. "Sure, and I was just...getting a new pencil."

"Seriously? You could have just got one from the teacher." Carlos said.

Rad shrugged. "Just didn't think about then." He quickly changed the subject. "Come on, I'm starving. I wanna dig into my lunch."

"What'd you bring?" Carlos asked.

"Oh, just a sandwich and a juice box. Nothing special." Rad replied. They made their way to the corner, and Rad's mind drifted to how he could get Kero to finally get the Autobots in on the secret. Slowly, his gaze drifted to his friends, and he began to smile. _'I think I know how.'_ He thought. "Hey, do you both want to know a secret?"

Carlos grinned. "What kind of secret?"

Alexis raised a brow. "You have secrets?"

Rad huffed and crossed his arms. "Well, I was going to say that-"

"Take this, tattletales!"

Rad screeched, a chill falling over him as a balloon burst against his head, syrup gumming his hair and seeping into his shirt. Alexis and Carlos shrieked as well, while the former's face flushed deep red.

"You rotten jerks!"

Rad glared at Sid and Seth. "What's your problem?"

Sid glared at him. "You told the teacher on us, and we got detention for a week!"

"You think we're not going to now?" Carlos retorted.

Seth smirked. "Go ahead, nothing more than a detention is all we'll get."

Alexis scowled at him, her eyes like steel. "We'll see about that. I'll take this to the principal!"

Sid sneered. "Go ahead, my parents will just throw another donation at him." He laughed as he and Seth walked off.

"Those guys think they can just get away with this?!" Carlos snapped. "I'm with you Alexis, let's go!"

Alexis nodded, and shoved her bag into Rad's hands. "Clean this please, we're going to the office." The blond blinked, and hurried to catch Carlos' bag as well.

"I'll owe you one, man!" he called as he followed Alexis storming down the hall.

Rad looked down at the bags, and sighed as he made his way to the bathroom. This too was unfortunately familiar. Just the timing of it seemed off. _'This sucks.'_ He thought and set his friends bags down and unshouldered his own to set beside them. Rad washed his hands first and wiped as much syrup off himself just so more didn't mess up his work.

His key thudded against his chest as it fell out from his shirt. Rad eyed it and his bag thoughtfully, and smiled as he fished the Sakura Book out of it, and found Bubbles' card. "Key-" Rad stopped as he heard shoes clacking against the floor, and slipped Bubbles into his pocket, but his stomach dropped as Sid and Seth came waltzing in. "Isn't it stupid of you to come back to the scene of the crime?"

Sid sneered at him again. "Where are your loser friends? They decide to ditch you?"

Rad glared at him. "If you haven't noticed, our things are ruined no thanks to _you two_."

"Check this out, it's that teacher's pet's diary!" Seth said, catching Rad's attention as his eyes widened when the taller boy waved the book.

"Put that down, it's not yours!" Rad snapped. He lunged to grab it, but Sid shoved him onto the floor. His backside hurt from the impact, but his heart raced as the two bullies began running out of the bathroom with Alexis' journal. _'I can't let them have it read on the announcements.'_

He didn't know where that thought came from, but it angered him all the same to know they'd likely done it in the previous timeline. "Release!" Rad held out his key and it changed into its staff form. The blond dug pulled the Sakura Book from his bag and fished one of the cards from it.

It was Dash. ' _Good as any of them.'_ Rad thought, and tossed the card into the air before pointing at it. "Lend me your speed, Dash!" The spirit appeared before him before bumping its head against his shoes and disappearing. The blond felt a rush go up his legs, and Rad sped out of the bathroom so fast everything around him as a blur.

The two bullies though were close in sight, and Rad narrowed his eyes as he muscled against Seth and pulled the book from his hands and speeding back around.

"What the heck was that?!" Seth squawked. "It's like that freaky stuff which happened in detention!"

"You idiot, none of that happened!" Sid retorted, and shoved his shoulder. "Come on, let's get out of here."

"This place is haunted!" Seth added as he and Sid took off.

Rad breathed a sigh of relief as he checked to make sure Alexis' journal hadn't been damaged. "Looks good." He said to himself and shrank the key. The spirit formed back into its animal form and Rad knelt down to pet its head. "Thanks for your help." Dash purred and nuzzled his hand before turning back into a card and Rad pocketed it.

"Now, to clean up the bags-"

"What are you doing with that!?" Rad jumped as he looked up, and Alexis looked at him as she just turned the corner. Her expression was angry and hurt, and Rad realized what she thought.

The blond held out his hands. "No, it's what it looks like!"

"I can't believe you were trying to steal my diary!" Alexis stormed up to him and Rad didn't resist as she wrenched it from his hands. She looked ready to smack him with it too, but instead held it against her chest. "I can't believe you would do this. Everything is in here, my hopes, my dreams, my cru-" she stopped, her face going red, but it wasn't from anger.

Rad wasn't sure what it was from. "Seth and Sid came back, and I grabbed it from them after stole it."

"Just now?" Alexis asked dubiously.

Carlos came rushing up around the corner. "Hey, what's with all the yelling?"

"Rad tried to steal my journal and made up a story about those two jerks coming back." Alexis said.

Carlos looked at Rad crossly. "You did that? Not cool, looking through someone's stuff isn't right."

"I wasn't looking through her stuff, I'm telling the truth!" Rad shouted.

"Then why didn't we see them?" Alexis shot back.

"I snagged the diary from them and they ran off." Rad explained.

"Without being seen? I find that highly unlikely." Alexis retorted.

"They didn't see me because….because…" Rad faltered, looking into his friends' faces and he realized he couldn't keep it from them anymore, "because they didn't see me. I was moving too fast for it."

"Too fast? Who do you think you are, the Flash?" Carlos asked sarcastically.

Rad nodded. "Just like that." He said. "I haven't told you this, but I have magic powers."

Carlos looked at him incredulously, while Alexis' face went redder, and this time it _was_ from anger.

"Of all the excuses you've ever made, how can you be so childish?" she snapped. The brunette stormed past him. "I can't take it; you try to steal from me and now you're lying about it to my face-don't bother talking to my anymore, Rad."

Rad's chest tightened, tears stinging his eyes. "Alexis-"

"I said don't talk to me!" she snapped. "Don't talk to me, don't even look at me. I can't be friends with someone like you!"

The blond watched her go, his throat constricting as he fought to keep the tears from falling. He looked to his other friend. "Carlos? Y-you believe me, right?"

Carlos' expression was conflicted. "How can I believe you when it sounds like you're covering up what you did?" Rad jerked back like it was a physical blow. The other boy shook his head. "I can't do this either, sorry."

Rad was stock still, not moving an inch to call back to Carlos and Alexis. He stared ahead into open-space, and finally let the tears fall.

* * *

Hot Shot found Optimus in the training room, and stood to the side as the Autobot leader managed to hit most of the target boards moving along the opposite wall. "Sir?"

The Autobot looked over, and he lowered his arm as his blaster deactivated. "Yes, Hot Shot?"

"There was something I wanted to ask you; have you…" The yellow mech faltered, but vented and continued, "have you noticed something strange going on? As though you swear something happened but then think it hadn't?"

Optimus studied him for a long while, then he looked down. "Yes, and while I should not be telling you this, I need to make sense of it." He said. "The oddest thing happened when I woke this morning, Red Alert was in my berth."

Hot Shot's face heated. "Oh," his vents cleared, "but aren't you two…" he hesitated this time, because though it was always implied, no one had yet to say it so bluntly, "together? Why is it strange? I thought it would have been common place."

Optimus looked at him for another long time, because he knew it would mean confirming the rumor. "Yes, we are." He said heavily. "The strange thing was I heard Red Alert saying he would be working in the lab and unable to come back to my quarters."

Hot Shot grimaced, because that _did_ feel familiar, and he hoped he hadn't overheard anything else that was private. "I'm sorry to say this, but isn't it possible you misremembered?"

"I would, were it not for the fact Red Alert was just as confused and wore he went into recharge in the lab." Optimus said.

"I think something's happening…" Hot Shot said cautiously. "Could it have something to do with those energy signatures? Its already kind of a given they're not normal in any way."

Optimus vented heavily. "Perhaps it something to do with it."

"It gets much stranger then that." Maya said appearing in front of them.

Optimus' posture straightened, holding himself as a leader once more now that there was an inkling of something unnatural going on. "How so?"

"When I tried to jog Red Alert's memory banks, since he was frustrated by the déjà vu feeling, I tried to show him things from the human Internet, but I found there truly was a discrepancy in the terminal hard drive." Maya recited, and held up her hand as a screenshot of two time stamps appeared. "Everything in the base is clocked at midnight for resetting, but it happened on _Friday_ at midnight."

"So how could this happen if the night hasn't come yet." It was less a question, and more of a statement Optimus uttered. "Have you found anything else?"

"Red Alert is looking for evidence time really is repeating itself when I came to show you this." Maya explained.

"Maybe Red Alert found something by now?" Hot Shot suggested, and Maya raised a brow. "Hey, I might have my differences with him, but he's efficient at least. Wouldn't surprise me."

Optimus shook his helm. "Let us go see then." He said, and Hot Shot followed after him to the command center, Maya having vanished and reappeared in the same room a moment later. Red Alert furiously worked on bringing up different reports and time stamps, the frown on his face deepening by the moment. "What troubles you?"

Red Alert stiffened, but relaxed when he saw Optimus. "It's the more I look into the rest of the systems, the more nothing makes sense. The internal hard drive is registering that it should be Saturday, but our clocks say it's still Friday." He let out a frustrated vent. "It looks like it might be the result of these strange energy beings."

"You think Kero knows what's going on?" Hot Shot whispered to Maya.

The girl nodded. "We need to contact Rad."

"What was that?" Hot Shot jumped and whirled around to find Sideways standing behind him. "Who's Kero? And why would it or Rad know what's going on?"

The yellow mech grimaced as he saw that it got Optimus and Red Alert's attention. _'Scrap, did you have to talk so loud, Sideways?'_ he thought. "It's…nothing." He said lamely.

Whatever Optimus or Red Alert was going to say was cut off by the sound of the mini-con alarm blaring overhead.

"Guess we gotta go find the new mini." Hot Shot tried not to sound relieved.

"Optimus, permission to stay behind and continue analyzing both the video and finding evidence for this occurrence?" Red Alert questioned, but he still gave Hot Shot a look that said this wasn't over.

The red and blue bot nodded. "Permission granted." He said, and grabbed the medic's shoulder. "And I would not want you in the field anyway given Megatron's current hostility towards you."

"I am capable of protecting myself." Red Alert said stiffly, but smiled faintly as he placed his own servo over Optimus' briefly. "Though your concern does warm my spark – there it is again. That strange feeling we've been through this."

"Then I suppose we should move ahead." Optimus said before squeezing the medic's shoulder and letting go.

Hot Shot left for the warp gate, but when he neared the room, he stopped when he spotted the three Star Saber mini-cons come rushing around the corner to stop by his side. The yellow mech blinked as he noticed an orange-pink mini-con peering around the same corner, another feeling of déjà vu coming over him. "Jolt?"

" _Hey,"_ the mini-con beeped sheepishly, but let out a startled squawk as High Wire shoved him into the open, gesturing from him to Hot Shot, _"I'm getting there!"_ he shouted at the gray-blue mini before looking up at the yellow bot. " _Can…can I go with you this time?"_

Hot Shot's grimaced. "Not-" He stopped, because he got a flash of a downtrodden Jolt, and his spark twisted. "Well…I suppose we can't get along again it we don't work together."

Jolt straightened up, clasping his servos. " _Really?"_ he asked excitedly. When Hot Shot nodded, the orange-pink mini-con ran up and hugged his leg. _"Thank you so much!"_

Hot Shot ducked under the glances from Optimus and the snickering from a newly arrived Smokescreen. "It's nothing." He tried to downplay it, but he couldn't deny he missed Jolt either.

* * *

On the moon, a furious yell rang throughout the broken base. Inside, Megatron was tearing away pieces of metal scrap, causing the Decepticon mini-cons to shriek and run to their respective partners. Crumplezone though climbed over a recharging Cyclonus, who was sleeping on a berth at the back of the room and hid on his other side. Grid though did his best to avoid Starscream and made a break for the hall.

"Stop trying to run away!" Starscream snapped as he swept up the red mini-con, who beeped something distinctly rude at him.

"Quit your yammering!" Megatron snarled, because the snoring of Cyclonus wasn't helping improve his mood. "Where is that mini-con we captured?"

From leaning against the wall, Scavenger glanced over at the terminal as a blip showed up. He narrowed his optics as he walked over and found to his surprise that it was in the same location as the previous sol. "Perhaps you missed it, since it appears to still be on Earth."

Megatron whirled around. " _What?"_ he stormed towards the terminal and both Demolishor and Starscream stepped out of his way. He glared at Scavenger. "And it's _we_ missed it, or have you thought to abandon me as well?" he asked mockingly.

"I'm still here, aren't I?" Scavenger drawled.

Megatron's glare intensified before he scowled and turned his glare to the terminal. He brought up the map and to his fury found that it was true. Somehow the mini-con had managed to wind up back on that accursed planet. "Looks like we'll need to get that mini-con again."

* * *

Rad was so out it through the afternoon, that when he dazedly walked down the sidewalk, he blinked as he realized he stopped at Rachel's apartment. _'Right, I'm staying with my aunt and uncle for the weekend.'_ He thought, but also remembered Kero still needed to be picked up.

The blond walked inside the building, his chest tightening as he did so and knew he wouldn't be able to live here by himself. It was going to be so strange and wrong to be in the apartment and know Rachel wasn't there. After getting off the elevator, Rad pulled the key out of then flower pot and opened the door. "Kero?"

The guardian came floating out of the hall, hands on his hips. "If you think for a second I'm actually-" he stopped, and Rad leaned back as Kero frowned. "What happened?" he asked, taking in the faint redness around Rad's eyes and the parts of tear tracks he'd been unable to wipe.

Rad looked away, shame filling him even before he admitted what he'd done. "I told Alexis and Carlos about magic."

"You did _what?!"_ Kero shouted. "What we you thinking? Why would you do this?"

"Bullies pelted us with syrup and I had to wait my whole lunch period before my aunt came by and dropped off my new clothes." Rad replied, his voice listless. "They tried to steal Alexis' diary and I had to use Dash to get it back. Then she and Carlos just missed them and didn't believe me when I told them what happened; they thought I was lying."

"So you thought it was a good idea to tell them about magic?!" Kero asked.

Rad glared at him. "It just slipped out; I was tired of keeping this from them and didn't want any secrets anymore." He hissed and tears stung his eyes again. "Well it looks like you were right! They didn't believe me and I have no friends anymore. Why was I dumb enough to think my friends would believe me about this?"

Kero stared at him, his expression conflicted. What he said though, Rad didn't understand if it was out of pity of empathy, but it made him pay attention. "The…previous Cardcaptor. She…has a friend she told about magic. I'll admit I'm more hesitant about sharing such secrets now, because then the circumstance had been different, but if you really want to get everything out-I'll," he grimaced, "talk to your tin cans."

Rad's eyes widened. Not only had Kero offered information about his predecessor, but he had just given into telling the Autobots He could guess the reasoning though, and he sniffled. "Am I really so pathetic you're only doing this because you feel sorry for me?"

Kero flew forward, using the tip of his hands to wipe away the tears which managed to fall from Rad's cheeks. "I thought you could handle this by yourself, but while I don't like it, I can accept when I'm wrong. And besides, even if those other mecha can't handle it, we'll just tell them it was my fault for keeping it a secret."

"You were the one who didn't want me to say anything to them." Rad muttered, but just like with Hot Shot couldn't deny he had been complicit. "If I'm going to lose the rest of my friends, let's go get this over with."

* * *

It was dark when they reached the destination and began their search, optics needing to adjust to the pitch blackness around them. Hot Shot thought of how it remined him of Cybertron's night, but that only came with a sense of déjà vu again. ' _Even the mini-cons are effected?'_ Though he realized what a poor choice of words those were when he remembered Maya's story. _'Of course they would be.'_

With the Star Saber deactivated and leaning against one shoulder, Hot Shot let Jolt sit on his other one, his servos gripping him tight to stay put. He blinked though as headlights flooded the area, and glanced at Optimus. "Sir, what about the Decept-frag, we already went over this, didn't we?"

"If that is the case, I will paraphrase: do not step on the mini-con." Optimus said firmly.

Hot Shot glanced back as Sideways and Smokescreen turned on their lights before following suit. His gaze turned to the blade in his hand, and for a moment he thought of how Sword wasn't with him-how without the spirit Scavenger had beaten him. He found himself…feeling lesser without it.

Hot Shot shook his helm. _'No, I don't need enhancements to deal with this.'_

"Optimus," Smokescreen called, "if we've really gone through the same day over again," he said it with humor, just to offset how truly unnerving the idea was, "don't you think its fair we switch out when we get back to base? My processor has to be twice as drained with all that non-tracking of the organic."

Optimus shook his head, his voice tinged with faint amusement. "Very well; time for a roster change. Any volunteers?"

Hot Shot hemmed and hawed, thinking of an excuse he used in another timeline. To his surprise, Sideways spoke up, "I will, sir. I don't mind."

Optimus nodded, and looked back ahead.

Hot Shot narrowed his optics at Sideways. "You sure? Nothing isn't being jogged about it? You might have already done it."

The other mech shrugged. "I don't mind." He repeated. "I think learning about these energy beings is the best way understand more about them. Unless of course _you'd_ like to take over."

Hot Shot grimaced. "Uh, no thanks." He paused as rustling of leaves caught his attention, and his headlights flooded the area. His optics caught a glimpse of blue, and hurried after it as it made a break through the trees. "Hey, wait! We're not here to hurt you! Don't you remember we did this already?"

Shrill beeping answered him, angrier than his vague memory implied.

It made Jolt shake his fist. _"How dare you, Fetch! Take back what you said, rustbucket!"_

'Fetch' shot something back that made Jolt spit static.

"I take it they're not gonna make this easy, are they?" Hot Shot asked dryly.

Jolt shook his head. " _He's not; he nor his teammates were exactly friendly with anyone but each other-and even then I suspect it was because they all had blackmail on each other."_

"Such a nice team dynamic." Hot Shot said wryly, but hurried after the mini-con running quicker on his pedes. "I don't think saying we're the good guys is going to help, is it?" Hot Shot called, but the beeping he received sounded distinctly rude. "I'm guessing that wasn't very nice."

" _Not even close."_ Jolt beeped. _"Want me to go after him?"_

"Yes please." Hot Shot said, and his mini-con partner jumped off his shoulder before transforming and flying through the trees after 'Fetch.' He turned on his . "Maya, can you see where this little punk is with Laserbeak?"

 _"No, it's too dark and the mini-con is too small for Laserbeak's optical set-wait._ " Maya cut herself off, and her tone raised a little. "Be careful, I can see the Decepticons just south of you."

"Mechs, cut your lights." Optimus said, and the rest followed suit as he doused his headlights.

As if on cue, the clouds covering the moon floated away and bathed the murky forest in a bright cast. "That's just our luck." Smokescreen muttered.

Hot Shot grimaced, because he too could see the shapes of the Decepticons in the distance and he eerie familiarity of what was happening. Overhead he could hear an engine roar and the _chop chop_ of rotor blades.

Shrill beeping drew his attention, and Hot Shot saw Jolt had managed to tackle Fetch and was wrestling him to keep him from running off.

 _"Quit calling me that! You'd be scrap if the Decepticons got you! Please calm down!"_ Jolt shouted, but he flinched as an elbow got him on the shoulder though he didn't let go.

Sideways hurried over to the mini-cons. "Need some help?" he knelt and Jolt shoved Fetch into his servos, where he wriggled in his servos, slamming a fist onto his digits. "Got him!"

"Hey, keep your voice down-" Smokescreen was interrupted with laser fire, shots striking the ground and trees around them. "Looks like its too dark for them to get a shot in either."

A shot nearly hit Sideways' pede though, and he went careening back, knocking against a tree as his servo flailed. Hot Shot moved, lunging to steady the other mech before his servo could slip open. "Still got it."

"Let's get back to base then, we have secured the mini-con." Optimus said.

Hot Shot didn't argue as he waited for Jolt to grab his leg before warping back to base. Once back to the bright lights of the warp gate room, Hot Shot pumped his fist into the air. "Yes! Crisis averted!"

"That did feel as though we would have had a different outcome." Optimus said.

Sideways looked away. "I almost lost him."

Smokescreen bumped his shoulder. "We all make mistakes, don't beat yourself up over it."

Hot Shot was about to reply as well, but blinked as Fetch finally slipped from Sideways' servo and shook his fist at them before taking off. "Uh, should we follow him?"

"Maya, can you make sure our guest does not hurt himself in trying to hurt our equipment?" Optimus asked.

" _Yes, I will."_ Maya replied evenly, though her voice cracked. _"And how are you faring; Jetstorm, Sonar, and Runway?"_

The three mini-cons in question muttered something under their breath before leaving and not further acknowledging Maya had spoken.

Hot Shot winced. "I think I'd take angry over this."

" _It's not as though its underserved."_ Maya replied. _"I have a lot to make up for them, and I do not think the shield mini-cons will like that I'm around either."_

Hot Shot blinked. "The what?"

"Shield?" Optimus questioned. "Would you mean the-"

"Rad, what are you doing here?" Sideways asked abruptly, glancing over at the entrance.

Hot Shot saw the blond looking around the corner hesitantly, his expression nervous. He wondered why, but as Rad stepped into full view, in his arms was Kero. Slowly he realized what was happening.

"I…" Rad bit his lip, glancing at them all before taking a deep breath, " _we_ have something to tell you."

He opened his arms, and Kero floated up to his shoulder. "I am Kerberos, Beast of the Seal, and those beings you've encountered are spirits called Sakura Cards…"


	26. Chapter 25: Timewarp Part 3

**Chapter 25: Timewarp Part 3**

 **A/N: I would like to thank Vanessa Masters for the scene made!**

* * *

The command center was silent, no one saying a word as Rad explained about opening the Sakura Book and scattering all the cards inside; Hot Shot had already heard the explanation about magic existing, but he carefully watched his comrades' reactions.

They all had better poker faces than he had, with the only one openly shocked being Smokescreen. Hot Shot didn't dare make a sound throughout Rad and Kero's alternating narration, because it would draw attention to himself when the other Autobots needed to know what was going on more. And there was some part of him that didn't want to let them know just yet he'd been reluctantly in on this for a short time.

It didn't last long, for when Rad and Kero were finished, Sideways spoke up first. "Kero? That's what you called it?" he questioned, and the guardian puffed up indignantly, but Hot Shot tensed when Sideways looked at him. "I heard you mentioning it. You knew all this time what was going on?"

Hot Shot shrank down when Red Alert sent him a stony glare, while Smokescreen looked hurt. Optimus was the only one who didn't react.

"Rad, I think it's best for you to wait outside." The red and blue mech stated. "We have to discuss this among ourselves."

The blond nodded, his eyes downcast and he somberly walked out. Kero followed, but paused and looked back at them defiantly. "If you're gonna blame someone, blame me; I'm the one who didn't want Rad to tell any of you." He said, and floated out of the room.

The door closed, but Optimus didn't look at Hot Shot. "Maya, can you come here for a moment?" he called, and the girl appeared in front of them, her hands clasped in front of her and expression contrite. "You see everything that goes on here, why didn't you bring this up?"

"I wasn't certain how you would react." Maya answered honestly. "Saying the cards are energy beings is one thing, that can be explained away to you as just another alien, but saying that they're _magic?_ That would have been a harder sell."

Optimus said nothing, but finally looked at Hot Shot, who cringed under the gaze. "When did you find out?"

"About a week ago." Hot Shot said quietly. He told himself he'd have argued and fought against their hurt to defend himself, but this had blindsided him too much to form a coherent argument. "I said I wouldn't say anything."

"You withheld information on a dangerous and unknown threat." Red Alert said harshly.

Hot Shot glared at him. "I know, but none of you believed me before! Why would now be any different?"

Red Alert stiffened. "There would have been proof." He said, and Hot Shot grimaced, because he couldn't argue against it without sounding spiteful.

"You know," Sideways began, sounding remarkably put together, "maybe we should have asked Rad to actually show _proof_ than just take his word for it. I won't deny the flying teddy bear is real, but I'd like to have something solid before going any further."

"That does sound like a good idea." Smokescreen said.

Optimus looked thoughtful, and nodded. "Very well." He said, and raised his voice, "Rad, you may come back in."

The blond peered nervously around the corner before stepping inside and Kero clung to his shoulder, small face set stubbornly into a scowl. "Did you decide anything?" Rad asked, not looking at them.

"We would like to see proof of this magic you claim to have." Optimus said.

"And if you have it, why couldn't you use it to get away from the 'Cons?" Smokescreen added curiously.

Rad looked surprised, but Kero's scowl deepened, and the blond shushed the guardian before he could say something angry or defensive. "Sure, okay." Rad just looked relieved, and pulled his key from his neck and held it out in front of him.

Maya appeared off to the side, and she looked almost excited. Hot Shot wasn't sure why, since she saw it through the feed all the time. Maybe that was it though, she finally got to see it up close again. And she wasn't the only one, as Hot Shot could spot some of the other mini-cons peering around the door.

"Key of the star," Rad said, and the key began glowing. Smokescreen and Red Alert leaned forward, but Sideways and Optimus only looked on stoically. Must be due to the lack of facial expression, "with powers burning bright; reveal the staff and shine your light – _release!"_

A wind picked up as a glowing circle formed underneath Rad. The key glowed and elongated into a pink staff with a circle at the top and a gold star in the center of it with larger wings on the side of it. Rad clutched the staff, his features tight and nervous as he pulled a card from his pocket. His shoulders hunched briefly, but he threw it into the air. The card stayed put as though against a wall, and Rad raised his staff. The wings on the side glowed and enlarged.

"Appear, Glow!" Rad called, and the card dissipated as a tiny ball of light appeared out of it. Hot Shot had to strain his optical sensors to see the tiny figure inside, like some cross between a human and an insect.

Her eyes widened when she looked at them, and zoomed to hide behind Rad's other shoulder, peering over cautiously.

Rad glanced at her. "I figured Glow would be less trouble than any of the others right now. Besides, I thought it better to be her since I kind of want you to know the answer." He gently cupped her in his hands and she sat in his palm. "I was out sealing Glow when I got captured. She didn't cause any trouble, which is actually a rarity, but the reason I didn't use my powers is because I dropped my key." Rad flushed, looking down. "I'm kind of useless without it."

Rad wasn't looking at them, but Hot Shot took notice of his comrades. Smokescreen was blinking rapidly, dazed as he stared at the blond. Red Alert looked like a strange cross between curious and still wanting to be mad. Optimus' helm fins twitching was the only give away that he was surprised. Sideways only stared with an intense focus at Rad, arms crossed.

Finally, Optimus vented heavily. "You kept this from us, why?"

Rad bit his lip, but Kero cut in first. "It was all my idea. I didn't trust you not try and abuse his power."

"What? We wouldn't have-" Red Alert started, but Longarm beeped something from his spot at the corner of the door. The medic's expression seemed to fall. "I…suppose your right point is valid." Optimus glanced at him. "Longarm said they didn't mention it to us because of _their_ situation."

Optimus looked behind the blue mini-con at the yellow one. "Sparkplug, is this true?" Sparkplug seemed hesitant, but he nodded and Optimus rubbed his brow plating. "While I can understand your wariness, it would still have been better to tell us sooner, so we may have been prepared."

Rad's gaze lowered until his head was bowed. His shoulders were tense. "I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I am sorry for keeping it a secret." He said softly, and when he continued, his voice was hesitant. "Am I banned from the base?"

Optimus was silent for a long moment, his gaze heavy. "For a time, yes." Rad seized up. "We need time to process this, and it would be best not to let our judgement be clouded with your presence."

"You're mad at me, I get it." Rad said quietly.

"I'm not mad, I'm…disappointed." Optimus replied, and Rad slumped further. Hot Shot could sympathize, he'd take angry over _that_.

"I know you had your reasons, but I'm still rather upset that you didn't trust us." Red Alert said bluntly, and Hot Shot was about to snap at him, but Rad beat him too it.

"I know, and I'll do what I can to make up for it." Rad quickly wiped his eyes, letting Glow float back to his shoulder as Kero had settled on the other one. "I hope I can earn back your trust someday."

"There's one thing we kinda need to know now though." Smokescreen said, and Rad nodded. "Things feel like they've been repeating, got any idea what's going on?"

Rad glanced at Kero, who sighed and rubbed his brow. "Looks like you were right." The guardian said grudgingly. "What's causing this is called the Time Card, he can reverse time to make the day repeat at midnight. He can also freeze time, but right now he just wants to cause trouble by making everything go backwards."

"So can we remember something's off but humans still go about it like it's nothing's wrong?" Smokescreen asked.

"Regular people can't see the cards unless they want them too, and Rad and I aren't affected because we have magic." Kero explained. His brow furrowed. "I'm not sure why you can still remember the time loop, but maybe it's because you're not from Earth so it doesn't apply. Create and Shield shouldn't have chosen Hot Shot, but they did anyway."

"Create and Shield?" Red Alert questioned.

Hot Shot nervously took the two cards from his shoulder compartment. Recognition crossed the faces of the mechs. He _hoped_ they realized further why he hadn't been upfront. "After Rad sealed them, they picked me. I took down the dragon that was something Create made, and I sliced through Shield to get the mini-con."

"So wait, that glowing dome was one of these cards?" Smokescreen asked, and Kero nodded.

"Shield is also the only thing that can withstand Time's influence. Those who are inside it won't be affected by what Time does." The guardian explained. "Which is why Rad needs to use it so he can seal Time."

"Uh, here then." Hot Shot knelt to hand Rad the cards, but to a degree he was unsurprised when immediately, both Shield and Time slipped from his grasp the moment Rad reached for them, and flew back into his shoulder compartment. What surprised him more was just how hurt Rad looked by it.

"I take it that wasn't supposed to happen?" Smokescreen asked.

"I just haven't gotten them to trust me yet either." Rad said morosely.

"Then for now let's turn our attention to finding this 'Time.'" Optimus said. "Kerberos? Kero?"

"Kero's fine." The guardian muttered.

Optimus nodded. "Is there something specific about this card we can use to track it?"

"Him." Kero said indignantly, fur fluffing up. Slowly, he crossed his arms. "It's difficult, even I'm having trouble finding any of them. Though there have been exceptions, most of the cards seem content to stay near the town and cause trouble."

"Exceptions?" Red Alert's gaze sharpened. "You mean the strange glowing human, correct?"

"Her name's Fight, a rather appropriate name given she wants to fight the strongest opponents she can find." Kero explained.

"Given she took the mini-con panel, and that she was giant-sized, I take it we're on her radar?" Red Alert questioned.

Kero nodded. "That's right, and the only way to seal her is to beat in combat."

Rad looked at him incredulously. "You never said that! How am I supposed to fight her and win?"

"Worry about Fight later, right now focus on Time." Kero said quickly. "Which, and I really don't want to say this, but Hot Shot you're going to need to use Shield."

Hot Shot blinked. "I thought I couldn't?"

"You can't." Kero said flatly, and the yellow mech looked at him annoyed. "What I mean is, convince Shield to keep this base covered at night, because since I doubt we can find Time tonight, he'll be rewinding everything again, and tomorrow everything will reset. And I really don't want to have this conversation again in case you don't remember it."

Rad looked worried. "Won't Shield just take off after?"

"Shield hasn't done it so far." Kero pointed out, and Hot Shot blinked as he realized neither card had. "For one reason or another," and Hot Shot glared at Kero, he knew an insult when he heard one, "neither has decided to fly the coop. Just because Rad sealed them doesn't mean they _can't_ work on their own, not unless you write your name on the card to show ownership – though this _does_ only work with those who have magic."

"But you're saying I can still ask it to do what I want then?" Hot Shot questioned, and Kero reluctantly nodded. "I'll work on that then."

"Just call us tomorrow to remind us about this, there's no guarantee _we'll_ remember all what happened either." Kero said.

"I…I guess I'll see all later then?" Rad asked, but no one replied. He slumped, and shrank his staff back to a key. "Guess not." Glow dissolved back into a card, and Rad put her into his pocket. He didn't look back as he walked out, and Kero followed after him.

"Hot Shot, Maya, I'm still disappointed with you both," Optimus said, and Hot Shot cringed while Maya grimaced, "but for all our sakes, I will withhold your punishment until this crisis has been averted."

"Yes, sir." Hot Shot muttered.

"Very well." Maya said quietly.

"We'll keep an optic out for any new signatures, just in case this 'Time' shows up on our scanners." Optimus said. Everyone nodded, but Hot Shot blinked as he noticed something.

 _Where'd Sideways go?_ He'd been so quiet; Hot Shot wasn't even sure when the mech had left.

* * *

Rad walked down the hall, sighing as he glanced up at the ceiling. "That could have gone better."

"Actually, that's likely as good as it was going to be." Kero replied.

"They're banning me from the base." Rad retorted.

"For the time being, they could have cut ties with you all together." Kero said, but flinched as Rad looked at the floor. "Sorry."

"No, I know that…deserve this." Rad said quietly. "It's all my fault, I know that."

"Now that's a little harsh, don't you think?"

Rad jumped, and both he and Kero whirled around to see a tall purple and yellow robot standing there. "Sideways? Y-you're really quiet, I didn't even hear you."

"I get that a lot." Sideways replied.

Rad rubbed his arm. "Why are you talking to me? I figured you'd be angry at me too."

"Why you think that?" The mech questioned. "Though maybe it's just because it's only been me and Mirror for so long," Kero twitched at the name of the mini-con, "but I don't see what the big deal about this is. You kept secrets, everyone's got secrets."

Rad found himself feeling more relieved than he thought he ever could. That one admission chased away the self-doubt, at least for now. "Thank you for understanding."

"Doesn't really seem fair to be mad at you," Sideways knelt to be at a more even level, "you had no idea whether to really trust us."

"I-I _do_ , I just…didn't know how to say anything about it." Rad said softly.

"And it's not like any of them really knows how to deal with magic." Sideways said, and Rad blinked, the unasked question reflected in his gaze. "I'll tell you some other time, right now, want a ride back home? Getting kind of late for a kid your age, isn't it?"

Rad's cheeks puffed out indignantly, but one look at his phone made him balk. It was almost five. Even if his aunt and uncle never noticed his absence most of the time, they definitely would if he wasn't there for dinner. "Yeah, I could use one."

Sideways nodded and transformed, turning into a motorcycle as Mirror landed on his seat, hologram firmly in place. "Hop on."

Rad grinned and climbed onto the back of the bike, and wrapped his arms around Mirror. "Better hold on tight, Kero."

"I was here with you before on this particular tin can." Kero grumbled as he huddled in close on Rad's shoulder, fingers clutching his collar tight.

"Tin can?" Sideways echoed.

Rad smiled apologetically. "Sorry about that, but Kero's just being a grumpy because he didn't want us to tell any of you."

"I can understand that, you had no reason to trust us." Sideways said.

"I still don't like this, but I find you more reasonable than I expected." Kero muttered, to which the motorbike stayed silent on.

Rad groaned in embarrassment and buried his head into Mirror's shoulder, wincing as he remembered too late that it was metal. Rad grimaced and shook his head. Mirror's shoulders shook slightly to the tempo of Sideways' faint chuckling. The blond flushed, but something niggled at the back of his mind. _Wait…did Time erase something else?_ He shook his head again, and it was only when they got into town that Rad knew he had to speak up. "I'm living with my aunt and uncle for the weekend, I'll give you directions."

"Right." Sideways replied. He swerved along the road to Rad's instruction, until he came to pull up onto the curb of a two-story house. "Oh, Rad, if there's time, I need to talk to you."

Rad bit his lip. "Sure, just wait out here and I'll be right back." He grabbed Kero and ducked around the corner of the foyer inside, seeing his aunt and uncle setting up the table. "I'll be back, just gotta go change for dinner."

Aunt Joy laughed. "No need to be so formal; I sure hope Rachel doesn't make you get dressed up."

Rad ducked his head. "Nothing like that, I just want to make this memorable."

His uncle waved him off. "Go on then."

The blond nodded, and made his way into the guestroom on the first floor. He let Kero go, and the guardian raised a brow as Rad lifted the window and climbed out. "I know, it's weird, just stay quiet." He ignored Kero's scoff and hurried back around to meet up with Sideways. "You wanted to say something?" he asked, leaning as his knees as he caught his breath.

"I'll try to make this quick since I don't want to take up too much of your time." Sideways said. "Earlier, I was a little leery of mentioning it, but I think you're alright too. I've had a run-in with magic before; it's this creature called a Wisp, and I thought when Hot Shot told me about Create that's what it was. Though I was wrong, I'm not wrong to say this: be _very_ careful should you ever come across one."

Rad blinked, and straightened up. "Why? Is it dangerous?"

"Oh yes, dangerous doesn't begin to describe it. It can change shapes, and it's very deceitful. Don't turn your back on it if you ever meet one." Sideways explained. As if to emphasize his point, Mirror reached out and grasped Rad's shoulder, and the blond looked between them both. "I've really started to like you, and it'd be shame if something happened."

Rad bit his lip, his cheeks flushing red. "You mean, like a friend?"

Sideways was silent for a moment. "Yes, a friend."

The blond's heart sped up, replacing the despair he felt from the sting of Carlos and Alexis rejecting him. "Thank you!" he jumped forward to wrap his arms around the mini-con, who froze up, as though not sure what was going on.

"Rad? _I'm_ the one who said it, not Mirror." Sideways said dryly.

Rad chuckled awkwardly as he pulled back. "Right, but you're synced up, aren't you?"

"That's not how it works." Sideways replied. "I've taken too much of your time, and you'll need your rest for tomorrow, don't you?"

The blond nodded. "Yeah, I guess I'll see you then." He said, and made his way back to the window. He glanced back before climbing into the guestroom.

* * *

Hot Shot sat against the cliffside, staring out at the sun as the minutes slowly ticked by. He knew he had until midnight to convince Shield to help them, but he was a little hesitant about Rad being forced to catch the card again and lose their window to seal Time if only Shield could withstand his effects.

 _No point in putting it off_ , he thought, and pulled Shield out of his shoulder compartment. The card floated in front of him, rippling blue and asking a question he couldn't understand. "I…this is going to sound weird, but could you…put a shield over the base tonight?"

Shield rippled again, flying closer.

Hot Shot hoped it meant it was receptive to the idea. "I know you probably heard what we talked about earlier, so I won't repeat it." Mostly because already he couldn't remember quite what was said. "If you do, could please… _not_ take off afterwards?" he blinked when Shield floated back into his shoulder compartment. "I…hope that meant yes."

He didn't know, but as the sun got lower, he realized they were running out of time. Venting heavily, he walked back into the base, and found everyone standing at attention in the command room. "I asked, guess we'll find out soon."

"This magic is highly random; does it not follow any sort of pattern we could track?" Red Alert asked. Being the science officer, Hot Shot guess this new discovery was making his processor hurt.

"Magic doesn't really have rules, except ones they follow." Maya answered.

"That doesn't really help." Smokescreen pointed out, to which Maya only shrugged.

"As that may be the case, we-" Optimus was cut off by Sparkplug rushing into the room, beeping something frantically. "Are you sure?" Sparkplug nodded, and Optimus' optics hardened. "It would appear that Fetch has decided to vacate the base."

"Why do you sound so calm, sir?" Smokescreen asked. "Shouldn't we go after him?"

Optimus shook his head. "Time will reset, and tomorrow – if Shield helps us – we shall go to Fetch's location beforehand and convince him to come with us."

 _If_ Shield helped them. Hot Shot vented again, and found his chronometer was steadily rising closer to midnight.

Before long, everyone tensed as midnight came around. Hot Shot watched incredulously as his meter began to reverse, and his optics started to shut down. So it didn't work, and they'd wake back up like nothing hap-

A glow caught his attention, and a glowing dome slowly began to expand around them, growing until even the clock on the screen turned back to the appropriate time, clicking once to 12:01 am, Saturday. Hot Shot let out a relieved gasp as his own meter followed suit and everyone slowly relaxed.

"It actually worked!" Hot Shot whooped.

"Way to go, buddy!" Smokescreen said, picking Hot Shot up into a bear hug. The yellow mech laughed and hugged him back, grinning as he was twirled around.

When he was placed back on his pedes, he noticed Sideways was standing by himself. "Something wrong?"

"No, it's…just strange to think there's a giant dome over us." The purple and yellow mech replied. "Which is by itself protecting us from another being that can rewind time."

Hot Shot rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, that does sound kind of weird put like that." He admitted. He glanced over and saw Optimus and Red Alert watching the screen. Hot Shot wandered over, peering curiously at the large energy reading in the middle of town. "Is that Time?"

"It would seem so." Optimus said. "Had we had the preparations, perhaps we could have confronted him."

"All we can do is come up with a plan to capture him." Red Alert added. He stiffened as the reading suddenly began to expand, and he pulled the image back the further the reading got. "This…this is incredible." He whispered. "His range is capable of encompassing the entire globe. All around the world clocks are being turned back."

"At least this means the 'Cons aren't going to know about it since they'll be stuck in the rewind too." Hot Shot pointed out, relieved to know they wouldn't have anyone dropping in on them unexpectedly.

* * *

On the moon, Starscream was looking for his mini-con partner, who once again tried to run off. "This is wearing on my patience. Your constant attempts to escape are futile; you realize we _are_ on the moon, don't you?" he called, but Swindle didn't answer him. The seeker glowered; the mini-con had gotten better at evasion, which was why he couldn't bring him out on retrieval missions. _Any you're robbing me of my chance to show everyone I'm not some weakling._

Starscream thought of Hot Shot, and scowled fiercely. When he thought of the organic woman, his fists clenched. Rage clouded his vision as he remembered Scavenger's words. He drew his wing sword and turned to strike the wall, but forced himself to pull back to avoid actually hitting the same mech. Starscream scowled at him. "Were you just standing there?"

"Yes." Scavenger said bluntly.

"I could have struck you!" Starscream snapped.

Scavenger sneered. "A mistake, I'm sure."

The seeker bristled, his grip tightening on the handle of his sword, but he forced himself to sheath it. "What do you want? Did Megatron summon me?"

"Why would he ask me to relay such a message? I have better things to do than that." Scavenger replied.

"Like _what?_ " Starscream challenged. "You're only here because we need soldiers, and you won't even join our ranks."

"How little you know; I decided to join after the first mini-con hunt." Scavenger retorted. "You need all the help you can get."

Starscream's scowl deepened. Even now he could still sound so condescending. "If you didn't personally know Megatron, you wouldn't be acting so smug."

Scavenger snorted derisively. "If it weren't for me, Megatron wouldn't know how to fight at all. I know how to back up my talk, you have yet to impress me with anything except running your mouth."

The seeker glared at the mech, and stormed out of the room before he did something Megatron would make him regret.

Scavenger walked up to the console, and paused when he noticed the red peeking out from behind a small pillar. "You know," the mini-con froze, staring up at him with a nervous air, "you should really find a better hiding place."

The mini-con beeped, sounding almost confused.

Scavenger kept his gaze on the screen as he typed in a code. Swindle eventually nodded, and hurried to one of the vents and ducked inside. The green and purple mech shook his head, and focused on the screen as it cleared. "Skywarp, are you there?"

"Huh?" A voice offscreen called. It turned distinctly cheerier when the caller's voice was recognized. "Scavenger!" There was a rush of footsteps. "I'm here, I'm here! _Whoooa!_ "

Scavenger grimaced as a purple blur went falling past the screen, crashing on the floor in a heap. "The ship is still intact, isn't it?"

"Oh, sure, I'm fine, thanks for asking." The other voice called sarcastically. A dark-colored servo lifted up, and clamped onto the edge of the console. "Sometimes I think you care more about this ship than me."

Scavenger decided it was better to ignore the whining for now, or he'd never hear the end of it. "Have you been lying low as I instructed you too?"

There was silence on the other end, and the servo wildly went across the keys. "Uh-um. Sorry, connections cutting off! Gottagoloveyoubye!" The words were rushed out, and the servos slammed onto a key, cutting the connection.

Scavenger shook his head. _That trick never works_. He worked on finding an Earth transmission, because he knew Skywarp likely hadn't been lying low. _Just what did you do this time? He better not be blowing our cover with one of his pranks._

* * *

Rad yawned as he wiped the sleep from his eyes. The sunlight shined into his window, and he could hear Kero's soft snoring from inside his drawer. The blond furrowed his brow. _Wait, drawer? My aunt-why am I thinking that?_ He rubbed his head. What was going on? He looked around his room, but thought something amiss, yet he didn't know why.

His cell phone ringing caught his attention, and he furrowed his brow at the nonsensical number, but remembered who used it. "Um, hi? Why are you calling me so early?"

There was a pause. "Look, Rad, there's something you need to know…"

Rad listened, a growing look of comprehension on his face as Hot Shot explained about everything; how 'Time' rewound the day, how Rad and Kero explained to the Autobots about the Sakura Cards (which almost made Kero go ballistic), and how they would meet up after Rad was done school to go about capturing Time.

"Are…you still there?" Hot Shot after a moment.

"Just…really overwhelmed." Rad replied, but slowly in bits and pieces did the information start to jog something. Kero was still silently fuming as he glared at the phone. "I guess I'll see you then."

"Yeah, bye." The line then cut off.

Rad dropped his cell phone onto his bed, and flopped onto the pillow. He stared up at the ceiling, eyes wide. _I can't believe it's all true._ His head hurt just thinking about it. Time travel? Why was Time doing this? He glanced at his clock, and realized he couldn't hear the sounds of Rachel's coffee boiling. _It's Friday, her exam's today._ Rad's chest tightened, but he pushed the feeling away and got up to go to his cousin's room.

Rachel was lying under the covers, bits and strands of long blond hair sticking out. Rad shook her shoulder, and her sleepy blue eyes peering out at him. "What?" asked groggily.

"Uh, you realize it's 8 am, right?"

Rad jumped back as Rachel's eyes shot wide open, and she threw her covers clear off the bed. "WHAT?!" she screamed. Rad was manhandled out of the room, and the blond stared at the door as Rachel slammed it shut.

Rad blinked, wincing as he heard the running around inside and the curses muffled by the door, but the sound of a clock ringing as it smashed against the wall made him jump. Rad hurried back to his own room and grabbed a change of clothes. Rachel's door opened, and his cousin was hissing and almost snarling under her breath. Rad poked his head out, but Rachel didn't bother brushing her hair as she scraped all her hair into a bun and made a dash for the kitchen.

Rad quickly changed in the bathroom, and was terrified as instead of coffee, Rachel was chugging down a can of Redbull. He only saw her drinking that when she needed to stay up late. "You're gonna crash."

Rachel growled instead of talking, and Rad ducked into his seat. She shoved the whole box of cereal at him, and began going through her list. Rad was immensely terrified, and he only thought to speak when he was sure she was calmed down.

"I know what's wrong, but…why didn't you're alarm go off?" he asked nervously.

Rachel pinched the bridge of her nose. "I don't know. Stupid me though thought it was only Wednesday."

Rad's eyes widened. He thought it was Friday, but Rachel's internal clock was turned back _two_ days? No wonder she was so peeved at everything. _I don't think she can take anymore, I have to seal Time tonight._

The sound of a knocking on the door caught Rad's attention, and he looked up expectantly as Rachel opened it, allowing two his aunt and uncle entry. "What...?" Rad wasn't sure why he was surprised anymore, and even Rachel looked tired of it. "I thought you were coming at 8:45 for Ray?"

Aunt Joy smiled serenely at him. "Change of plans kiddo," she ruffled Rad's hair and he sighed, "I talked with Rachel last night and we agreed it was better to kill two birds with one stone." She gently nudged his shoulder. Rachel frowned deeply, eyes narrowed as though trying to recall such a thing. "We're dropping you off at school before taking Ray to the bus stop, now go get your bag and your uncle can help you with your suitcase."

"No need, I can do it." Rad said, and hurried to his room before anyone could protest. The blond looked around, and went right for his bag. He scowled down at Kero, who was sitting inside next to the Sakura Book.

Kero glared back, crossing his arms. "Apparently we already told your tin cans, so I don't have to go. I'll be find here by myself."

"There's no way I'm leaving you here alone." Rad said flatly. "Besides, I'm gonna need your help with Time."

Kero paused, and huffed. "Well since you asked so nicely, I suppose I can put up with the mecha."

Rad rolled his eyes, but grabbed his phone as his uncle poked his head into the room. The blond waved the cell phone. "Just talking with my friend, they can be kind of loud." He was sure Kero would be yelling at him if he could.

His uncle only smiled sympathetically. "The joys of having friends, right?"

Rad was struck with the memory of Alexis' angry face as she stormed away, and Carlos walking from him. Rad's eyes stung, and he looked away. "Yeah." He whispered. He reached down, and grabbed the handle of his suitcase. "I'm ready."

The blond followed his uncle out down the hall, and in turn the group left the apartment and made their way down to the front entrance. Rad went through the motions with a glazed look, going on autopilot for how familiar it all was. Though he it made him miss High Wire even more. At the car, Rad tossed his suitcase in beside Rachel's, and watched as in the backseat his cousin acted as though pulling something from her pocket, but scowled as her fist clenched.

 _A pocket mirror, she's trying to fix her hair up._ Rad thought, and coughed. "I think you look nice, Ray."

Rachel glanced at him, her scowl softening a little. "Thanks for trying, but we both know I look terrible."

"This is what happens when you don't get enough sleep." Aunt Joy admonished.

Rachel's eye twitched. She looked ready to snap, her endless patience already stretched like a tight rope.

Rad hugged the blonde, who jerked back. "I hope you pass your exam."

Rachel calmed down, and she hugged him back tightly. "Thanks. I hope so too."

"Awww, you're so cute, just like when you were both little." Aunt Joy cooed. "I remember taking Ray to see you after you were born, Bradley." Rad twitched, but even without the endless cycle of reliving the same day his aunt would never let up calling him that. "She wanted to hold you first, and wouldn't let anyone. It was so adorable."

"Right up until Rad started crying and Ray began crying, and all the _other_ babies in the maternity ward got going too." His uncle shook his head, grimacing. "I can still hear the ringing in my nightmares, just like angry ward nurses threatening us to leave."

 _This is new_ , Rad thought as he felt no déjà vu from the words. He only nodded noncommittally, and kept quiet as he let Rachel hug him until the car finally reached Lincoln Elementary. "I'll see you later."

Rachel nodded, reluctantly letting go and ruffled his hair. "Yeah." She said morosely. "Behave."

"Only if everyone else does." Rad replied with a smirk. Rachel snorted, and lightly shoved his shoulder.

"Do you want us to pick you up after school?" His uncle asked.

"Ah, no thanks. I know the way to your house." Rad said and closed the backseat door behind him. He walked onto the curb, and watched the car drive away. Rad realized that Carlos and Alexis would be by, and he couldn't see them just yet. He didn't know how to feel about them, and he hurried over to the steps, scooping up a rock as he let it drop over the steps.

"AHH!" Dual screams rang out, and both Sid and Seth ran out from the hiding spot and onto the steps, running by Rad inside the building. Laughter followed, and Rad narrowed his eyes. _Now they can't use that sap on us._ Rad looked back and saw both Carlos and Alexis coming up the curb, and the blond hurried inside.

He was stopped by a teacher and an angry-looking Sid and Seth. The teacher crossed their arms. "Did you throw water balloons at these boys?"

"No, I dropped a rock I found by accident and the balloons must have smashed on them." Rad replied. "Though, I wonder why _they_ had balloons filled with sap. And why they were hiding with them."

The teacher narrowed their eyes. "Go to class, I'll bring them to the principal's office."

"What? But-" Seth tried to protest, but the teacher had none of it.

"No, there are bees around and you could have hit someone with an allergy. Now, we're going to the office and calling your parents. March!"

Rad watched the three leave, though he straightened up when Sid glared back at him. Rad narrowed his eyes, not letting himself show fear until the group turned the corner. Only then did he slump over in relief.

"Way to go, Rad, you taught those two brats a lesson." Kero said quietly.

Rad shushed him, looking around nervously. Thankfully there were no other students inside yet. "You can't just talk to me, what if you're caught on camera?"

"Cameras in the school?" Kero shook his head, and ducked back into the bag. "What's the world coming too."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure it was different back in your day." Rad said snarkily. He winced as Kero quickly reached out to pinch his neck. "Okay, now you're pushing it." Rad caught sight of Carlos walking up the steps, and the blond took off for homeroom.

It might have been cowardly, but he still couldn't face either of them. _They_ might not remember what happened, but Rad did.

* * *

"Does everyone remember the plan?" Optimus questioned, and Hot Shot could practically recite it by spark now.

"We find the mini-con, and convince him to come with us?" Smokescreen asked.

Optimus nodded. "Correct. Due to the circumstances from yesterday, I have found it wise to bring our own mini-cons to better plead our case." Which was why Sparkplug was currently sitting on Optimus' shoulder like a parrot.

Not like Hot Shot could complain, since Jolt was huddled on his shoulder.

"Let's move out." Optimus pause to grip Red Alert's shoulder. "Keep an optic out for anymore of this 'Time's' signature. We still don't know fully when it can strike."

Red Alert nodded. "Will do."

Hot Shot followed Smokescreen, Sideways and Optimus to the warp room. He glanced at Sideways, realizing that the mech couldn't exactly have his mini-con talk to Fetch. "So, is your mini-con finally going to speak?"

"If Mirror feels like it." Sideways replied, and chuckled in a self-deprecating way. "Although, given Mirror's height, that might still be difficult."

"You could stay behind if you want." Hot Shot grimaced as the words passed through his mouth. He couldn't believe he said that. "Optimus would understand."

"No, if nothing else, I can still fight." Sideways replied.

Hot Shot tilted his head, but noticed that Jolt was giving Sideways a suspicious look. _Not you too, does everyone think Sideways and Mirror are weird?_ He paused as outside the warp room were the Star Saber mini-cons.

They beeped something, and Jolt looked at Hot Shot. _"They feel your mission would be better suited if they were not around to be used as a threat. Fetch never liked them anyway."_

Hot Shot blinked, but relayed it to Optimus. The red and blue mech vented heavily. "Very well." He said. "Our best scenario is to get out before the Decepticons show up."

The three nodded, and made their way through the warp gate as it showed the increasingly familiar dark forest.

 _Hope this is the last time we have to do this._

* * *

Rad wasn't proud to admit it, but he spent the entire afternoon hiding from his friends. When he looked at them, all he could see was their anger and disappointment. He knew they didn't remember, but it didn't erase the rejection and hurt of the whole thing. It was cowardly, but Rad couldn't bring himself to care.

He walked morose down the street, Kero still not able to talk to him, and High Wire's absence felt immense. Rad kicked at the pavement, glancing to the side as Kero thumped his back through the bag, and the blond snickered as he saw Ms. Jay's bakery across the street. "Alright, hold on." He muttered, and at the crosswalk he hurried up to the store.

Ms. Jay smiled pleasantly. "Hello, what can I get for you?"

"I'll two chocolate brownies." Rad said.

The woman nodded, and placed them both into a small box. "Here you go, that'll be $2.75 please."

"Okay." Rad scooped the change from his pocket, and handed it to her. He waved as he departed, and he could almost hear Kero's stomach rumble. Rad smiled faintly, but the rush along the pavement made him blink, and a sudden shove against his back made him stumble.

Rad's arms jerked and the box was wrenched out of his grasp before a pain exploded in his face as his eye stung. The blond held his face as he looked blearily up. He tried to glare at the two bullies. "What do you want? Why'd you hit me?"

"You got us in trouble, you little punk." Sid sneered.

Rad glared more fiercely. "You got _yourselves_ in trouble."

"Shut up! It's all your fault!" Seth kicked Rad in the knee, and the blond yelped as he collapsed to his other knee. Seth hefted the box. "Thanks for these, but it's not enough to make up what you did."

Rad gritted his teeth. "I didn't-" he was cut off by the feel of a fist slamming against his jaw. Rad held his mouth, and flinched as he swore he tasted blood. He closed his eyes as Sid raised his foot-

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?"

Rad's eyes snapped open, and he saw both Sid and Seth looked shocked someone was calling them out. The blond looked beyond them, at the sight of an older man wearing a dark suit, with brown hair that had started turning gray around the temples. His dark eyes were set in a glare.

Sid turned around, fists clenched. "Why don't you just mind your own business?"

"I would, but that would be morally abhorrent." The man replied.

"What?" Seth questioned, but recovered and pointed at Sid. "You know who his dad is? He can have you fired from wherever you work! So leave us alone!"

The man stared at them, his expression never changing. "Do I look like I care who your father is?"

Both bullies stiffened. Rad understood they must have used that a lot to threaten people.

"Leave, or the police will care very much." The man said.

Sid scowled and his fists clenched tighter. "You wouldn't dare!" he yelled, but faltered as the man's glare was fiercer. Rad watched with fascination as both Sid and Seth began to shake, and like it was the final straw, the man reached into his pocket and pulled out a phone. The two took off like bullets.

Rad blinked as the man pocketed the phone and held out his hand. The other was occupied by a briefcase. The blond accepted the free hand, and winced as he was helped back to his feet. "Why'd you help me?"

"You were getting beaten up and you ask why I helped you?" The man questioned, his tone a touch incredulous.

Rad looked down. "Just…not used to it."

"Given those brats could just go around in broad daylight doing things like this, I imagine no one's stood up to them before." The man said.

"Kids have, but…well, look what just happened." Rad replied, but shook his head. "Thanks for helping me. My name's Rad."

The man stared at him, and slipped his hand free to pinch the bridge of his nose. "My name's Touya." He said. "And you are a very foolish child to give your name so freely to a stranger."

Rad tilted his head. "You're not a stranger, you just saved me."

Touya shook his head, and took his phone from his pocket again. "Here, use this to call your parents to come and get you."

Rad thought that while his aunt and uncle might not mind him staying out, that could change if he called and said he got beaten up. "Um, no thanks. I have my own." He held up his hands nervously. "I can call them. Thanks again for helping me out."

Touya looked at him suspiciously, but shook his head and walked by him. He paused, and looked over his shoulder. "And stop talking to strangers."

Rad huffed, but as he made his way to the edge of town, he called up the same odd set of numbers. "Hey," he paused as the voice replied, "Red Alert, can you send someone to pick me up?"

* * *

Deep in a pine tree forest, sunlight streamed through the trees, and the glowing human female waited in the trees. Fight kept a close on the mini-con, and would not allow anyone to take it away from her, not when she was close to the ultimate fight with the large metal ones. This mini-con was the bait to get her ultimate challenge.

A loud whistling noise was the only warning Fight had, before somersaulting out of the way, and where she stood was a large metal spike erupted from the tree trunk. Fight landed on the ground and glanced at the spike before she looked around furtively, realizing she was found. But by who? It couldn't be the metal ones, she'd have heard them with their loud steps, or wheels whirring, and the Cardcaptor she'd have sensed. Fight amended her last statement with a scowl. Not _her_ Cardcaptor.

Up in the pine trees overhead, a figure sat on a branch in the shadows, and it chuckled as it plucked off more pine needles from its perch. The needles began to glow purple, before shooting through the air, and transforming into more spikes.

Fight heard the whoosh of air, and leapt again to dodge the spikes as best she good. She managed to kick some away, but she still worked hard to dodge what she could, for there were so many of them were shooting at her, driving her away from the mini-con panel.

Fight's eyes widened in alarm as it dawned on her.

The mini-con panel!

Fight looked back where the panel was, and spotted a shadowy figure standing beside it. Somehow even in the specks sunlight it didn't appear to become any more colorful. It was a nebulous thing of pitch-black smoke, a human upper half while the wait faded into a dusky mermaid-like tail of equally dark smoke. It's glowing purple eyes were its most defined feature, with a violet streak across the face where the lips would be. The lips curled into a smile as it spoke in an echoing, whispery, feminine voice,

 ** _"So sorry, Angel-Cake. But I'm afraid this little fella belongs with those who will appreciate him, and not use him as bait_**."

Fight glared and began to charge at her, but then a purple butterfly mark appeared on the shadowy creature's chest and glowed brightly. Several pebbles on the ground glowed and floated up, transforming into jets of water that shot at Fight. They struck the spirit in the chest, and sent her flying back. Fight skidded to a stop under a tree, and the shadowy being reached down to touch the ground, and in a instant the roots of the tree burst from the ground.

They coiled and wrapped around Fight while still dazed, but once realization struck, and struggled and began to try and break free.

The shadowy creature laughed softly, the words it spoke mocking, " ** _Hehehehehe. Oh, you're a feisty one; the little Cardcaptor's going to have a heck of a time wrangling you."_ ** The creature reached down and picked up the mini-con panel, and blew a patronizing kiss to Fight, who growled in rage as the shadowy being slowly disappeared.

Fight broke her arm free, and threw the shattered root at the spot the figure was in. It struck nothing, and she slammed her fist into the ground. Her eyes burned with rage. It looked like it was time for a Plan B.

* * *

Rad looked up worried as Kero gasped, his eyes wide. "What's the matter?" he winced as Red Alert scanned over him. The light didn't hurt, but it still made him think it would.

Kero leaned over the side of the bag, his brow furrowed in confusion and unease. "I think…I think I might have sensed Yue."

Rad frowned. "What's a Yue?"

Kero looked down. "The other guardian." Rad stiffened up. "I've been trying to find him, but…too much interference."

"So, what does Yue do exactly?" Rad asked.

Kero didn't reply. "You shouldn't worry about it." He said finally, and waved it off. "Just focus on getting Shield to work with you, and capturing Time."

* * *

"Wait!" Hot Shot yelled, hurrying after Fetch as Jolt was right on the mini-con's pedes. Just their luck, the mini-con seemed more than aware too that something was amiss, and hadn't even let them speak before taking off.

"What should we do? He's not exactly letting us get a word in." Sideways pointed out. Due to the fact he and Hot Shot were the fastest, they were sent after the mini-con. "Just keep yelling at him?"

"That's all we can do right now. Restraining him will only make this worse than it already looks." Hot Shot replied. He would have opted for vehicle mode, but the mini-con was too clever, going over and under debris to evade them. Only Jolt could keep pace.

"We have to catch him soon, or our clock will run out." Sideways said.

Hot Shot grimaced, but when he thought of the Decepticons, he got an idea. "Fetch! If you come with us, you can fight all the 'Cons you want!"

Abruptly, Fetch stopped, and Jolt transformed to pin him to the ground. The two struggled, but when Hot Shot caught up, he separated the two and held Jolt back. Fetch beeped something, and Jolt translated.

 _"How do I know you're telling he truth?"_

"You don't even have to form link with any of us. You can think of yourself as a freelance agent. Doesn't that sound better than just being a weapon?" Hot Shot asked.

Fetch stared at him. _"There's a certain ring to it, but what would you give me?"_

Hot Shot grimaced, and he hoped Optimus wouldn't be mad. "You can be paid in oil and fuel cells. We'll pay you to fight for us, if that's how you wanna look at this."

Fetch started making a strange long screeching sound, shoulders shaking. Hot Shot realized with a start that Fetch was laughing. _"About time we're recognized for our prowess! Just wait until the rest of the team is active!"_

Hot Shot resisted the urge to grimace. _More_ of them were like this? Hopefully they wouldn't be as angry. The main thing here to was to keep Fetch from the Decepticons. "Can't wait, so will you come with us?"

Fetch crossed his arms, looking away. Finally, he walked up to Hot Shot – and socked Jolt right in the faceplate. The yellow mech's optics widened, and Jolt weakly translated.

 _"He said yes, and that was for me tackling him both times."_

Hot Shot glowered at Fetch, but looked back as Sideways finally caught up. "We're good, got him to come with us."

The purple and yellow mech stared at him. "That's…good. You actually can be calm and reasonable, looks like Red Alert was wrong about that too."

"Seriously? Does Red do nothing but talk about me behind my back?" Hot Shot asked incredulously. He glared at the sky. "If you can hear me through Laserbeak, Red – I'm telling Optimus!"

"Telling me what?"

Hot Shot jumped, his faceplate heating as he saw Optimus and Smokescreen finally caught up with them. "The good news of course! I got Fetch to come with us."

Optimus nodded. "Well done, Hot Shot. Let us return to base before we lose our window of opportunity."

"Right." Hot Shot held Jolt in one servo, while holding out the other to Fetch. The mini-con stared at it, before shoving it away and climbing onto Hot Shot's leg and gripping the metal. The yellow mech vented, but let the warp gate take them back to base.

What he did _not_ expect on arrival though was Rad to be waiting for them, and – "What happened to your optic!?"

Rad blinked, but touched the dark red and purple bruising that started up around his eye socket. "It's…it's no big deal. Red said that the bruising should go down in a few days with some ice."

"Since when did Red Alert become a human doctor?" Smokescreen questioned.

"Apparently since Rachel kept throwing herself into danger." Rad said dryly. "He didn't want to be unable to help us if we're hurt." He grimaced. "I'm more worried if this is going to be gone before Rachel gets back. She'll flip out if she sees it."

"She should!" Hot Shot retorted.

Rad sighed, but smiled placatingly as the Autobot mini-cons all beeped something at him. Hot Shot was suddenly aware that while _he_ also knew about Rad's other secret, the rest of the bots didn't. "Are you asking about the black eye?" he asked. "It's okay, I'll be fine." His eyes hardened then. "The clock's ticking though, and we need to find Time."

Optimus nodded. "Has Red Alert come up with any leads so far?"

"He and Kero can't find Time anywhere, and Kero thinks it's because Time is only active at night." Rad replied. "The sun will be down in an hour, which will also mean there'll be less people."

"So you're saying we should scout ahead?" Smokescreen asked.

"It would make sense." Sideways replied instead. "It gives us more ground if we split up and radio if we find anything."

"Agreed." Optimus said. "Rad, go with Hot Shot."

Hot Shot wasn't exactly surprised by the order, given that the two of them were still not on the best terms with everyone else. "Right." He said, and transformed to let Rad climb into his cabin. He waited until they were out of audio range. "So how are you _really_ feeling?"

Rad looked at the ceiling, his fists clenching. "I'm fine."

* * *

Rad was glad Hot Shot tinted the window, so no one could see inside through the already darkened night. His eye stung still, and his mouth felt swore, but he couldn't let that stop him. Rad was touched by Hot Shot's concern, but Kero was already suspicious that Rad was in more pain that he let on. He was also not wrong in pointing out that his aunt and uncle _would_ notice the black eye.

Rad already had an excuse to use though, and he really didn't want to think about anything but getting Time. He sighed deeply, which meant he still needed Shield. "I know you don't like me, and that's okay."

Hot Shot almost jumped on his tires. "What?"

Rad glanced at the dashboard in front of him. "Shield." he clarified, and the bot let out a soft 'oh'. "I know don't why you don't like me, or what I did, but please…no one else deserves to be stuck in a time loop. To live the same day over and never moving forward…let's stop Time together, and afterwards, you can go back to Hot Shot. For as long as you want, you can stay with him until you're ready to give me a chance." Rad looked down. "I promise I won't ask again."

The cabin was utterly silent, and Rad closed his eyes. He wanted to plead his case more, but anything else would make him look more desperate than he already did. A ripple reached him, and Rad felt caution and tentative acceptance.

The blond blinked, and found Shield floating in front of him. A smile lit up Rad's face. "Thank you so much!" he held out his hands, and Shield wavered before floating into his grasp. "After this is over, what you decide will be your choice."

Shield glowed blue for a moment, ripples emitting in agreement.

Rad's smile froze as another force made it's presence known. His eyes widened, and he fell back against the passenger seat. His body was sluggish, like the flow of time was stagnating and going backwards. The blond gritted his teeth as the feeling passed, and everything sped back up again.

"-ad! Rad, are you okay?!"

Rad looked wearily at Hot Shot's dashboard. "I sensed Time, I should be able to track him."

"Right, I'll get everyone to converge once we've found his hiding spot." Hot Shot replied.

Rad pulled his key from his neck, and held it out in front of him. "Release!" The key glowed and expanded until the staff was in hand. "Okay." He took a deep breath, and closed his eyes as he tried to track Time's presence. "Left." Hot Shot swerved, and turned the corner. "Keep going straight….now another left…stop!" his eyes snapped open.

They were at the edge of a park, where the only thing in sight was trees and the streetlamps. "This is the place." Rad said.

"Got it. Everyone, we're at the park; Time's here." Hot Shot said. He paused for a moment. "They'll be here in a few minutes."

Rad nodded. "I kinda wish Kero actually wanted to come with us just so I'd know what to do." Kero though had opted to go back to his aunt and uncle's house, because he had 'gotten tired of being around the mecha'.

"You've got this." Hot Shot reassured him.

Rad smiled, and got out of the car to let Hot Shot transform. The two of them began making their way through the trees, and Hot Shot knelt as they noticed a glowing form sitting on the sundial further ahead. Rad squinted, and saw it an old man wearing a robe. "Since he can control time, it's going to be difficult sealing it. I have no idea how I'm supposed to sneak up on him with him getting away. I need to be close enough to seal the card, but I can't use another to restrain him without Shield disappearing."

Hot Shot rubbed his chin, but brightened and winked at Rad. "I just got an idea." He shooed him. "Get Shield in place and go hide. Jump in when you think the time's right."

The two paused, and Rad hung his head as Hot Shot snickered at his pun.

Rad shook his head, and hurried to hold Shield up. "Okay, ready." Because Shield technically was its own being right now, Rad didn't need to draw its' power through the wand. It glowed and expanded into a white dome over Rad by itself. The blond crouched low as he saw Hot Shot pulling back and hurrying to meet the sound of approaching cars.

Time stirred, but didn't react as he continued looking down at his hourglass. He only looked up when Hot Shot came running into the clearing. Time lifted his hand, and the hourglass glowed. Hot Shot stiffened, frozen in place.

"Hot Shot!" Smokescreen called, and looked at Time, but found himself freezing as well. Rad's eyes widened, but he noticed that Time needed to focus more on the bots to keep them still.

 _That's it, they're distracting him._ Rad quietly crept along the backway, holding his breath as Optimus came into the clearing but was caught by Time as well. Rad got closer, but so did Sideways as he came in from the side. Time held up his other hand and caught him as well. The card's focus was entirely kept on the Autobots.

Rad raised the wand, and once in range – "Return to your power confine," Time looked over at him, letting the Autobots go as he reflexively held out his hand to Rad, but Shield nullified the freeze, "Sakura Card!"

Time's form began to dissolve, even as he tried to escape by running. Soon, he was nothing more than wisps and sucked into the shell card. Shield faded back into card form as Time's card floated over to Rad, and the blond caught it. He noticed Shield beginning to fly away, but paused, and Rad's heart soared as Shield came back to him.

Shield glowed blue and rippled, acceptance of him more resolute.

Rad plucked Shield out the air. "You have no idea what this means to me, thank you!" he hugged Shield to his chest as he shrank his key. He beamed and looked up at the Autobots, but his good mood crashed when he saw only Hot Shot looked happy.

 _Oh,_ he thought in remembrance, _this means I can't see any of them_. Their temporary partnership was over. Rad's chest tightened. "I…I hope I can see you soon." He shrugged uncomfortably. "When you decide I can come back, of course."

"Today was an exception, but we just need time to process this." Optimus said. Rad nodded. "Hot Shot, give him a ride home."

"Uh, sure thing." Hot Shot said, and transformed. "Hey, at least your plush toy will be happy, right? You got two cards tonight."

Rad smiled weakly. "I guess." He didn't know how to feel; on the one hand, he got Time and things would go back to normal, while on the other, he still knew there were issues that couldn't just be wiped away with a reset now.

* * *

Rachel yawned, cracking her back as she finished scouting the dig site. She chose a rather out of the way one, so as not to let anyone get the idea to mess with her area. It wouldn't surprise her, and this was her grade she was guarding too.

The blonde heard a racket further in the forest, and she furrowed her brow as it almost sounded like…laser fire. Rachel's eyes widened as something careened out of the trees. It smoked and landed in pieces near her site.

Rachel tentatively stepped closer, her eyes wide as the object was the size of a basketball, strewn in several pieces. It's edges were smooth and rounded off, like some strange ball with a single point at the front. Though it was blue, it was scorched and smoking. The circuitry was like nothing she'd seen, and Rachel let out a heavy sigh.

 _Of course, alien tech. Damn it, I was hoping nothing weird would happen._ Grumbling to herself, Rachel used a plastic bag from her dig site, and wrapped the tech into it before loading it into her duffel bag. The day was over, and she'd get in touch with the Autobots tomorrow. _I really hoped this weekend would be normal._


End file.
